Dragon Whisperer One-Shot Collections
by Lil' Dark
Summary: One-Shot collection for an ancient idea I've cherished for years. Contains Dragons, Magic, Fluff, a Lemon, Gore and Blood in different orders and of different levels. First chapter is a Yaoi Lemon. The second genre is General for all one-shots are different. Main characters are Atemu and Yami in a developing relationship. !Chapter 6 is up!
1. Dragon Dance

**Hi all! So, you haven't heard from me in ages and only I am to blame. I had no inspiration at all and no desire to write. I still have no desire to write at all for my other stories, but this story has been inside my head for years. And last week I was listening to music and this popped up in my head. Two days later I had written it out in a one shot of 14 pages.**

 **I hope people will like it. I will write more one-shots for this particular story idea and might post them, but they will not be in correct order. And I don't know when I'll post them, this one just needed posting. :) One day I might put them in order, just not yet. The** **ideas don't pop up in order either.**

 **Warnings: Lemon! Yaoi Atemu x Yami. It's a slow lemon, so if you're looking for quick stuff, you won't find it here.**

 **Genres: Fantasy, Romance and a little Humor (I try).**

 **Beta'd by Miqu. :)**

 **Enjoy!**

 **/\**

The Elven Empire was beautiful. It was worth the near year and a half of travelling, Atemu mused, as he gazed at the white buildings around him. The path he walked upon was beautiful and decorated since this morning with small lanterns and glimmering Dragon-scales. As dusk had fallen the flowers beneath the lanterns had begun to bloom and now they were illuminated by the floating lights. The Empire was truly something humans could wish for: straight, clean roads without fear of tumbling over a crack, beautiful gardens attached to grand and solid homes, glass in every window and clean, fresh air to inhale with every deep breath.

Magic shimmered around him, Atemu could feel it touch his skin and it felt warm and welcoming. As he walked passed the Cenzurion Guild, he watched them as they filled the lanterns with a gentle light and then floated them around their building. His eyes were pulled towards the domed roof of the building, where different coloured lights filtered through the windows, until he heard his name being called.

"Atemu! My boy, finally", Siamun called out to him and the tanned young male turned towards the older one. "I was afraid you wouldn't be on time. Come, they are about to start the dance", the elder said as he waved at Atemu to follow him. The tanned man let Siamun lead him to wherever he had to go, the elder quickly walking up the alabaster steps leading up the hill. As he got higher, Atemu could hear the drums beating softly.

"You're very lucky, you know?", Siamun asked. Rose-red eyes stared at the elder as Atemu turned to look at him.

"Lucky?", he asked. "How can I be considered lucky?"

Siamun smiled at those words. "You are allowed to witness the ritual, while I had to wait for years before I was invited to come and watch", was the answer. Atemu rose an eyebrow.

"Invited? I was invited? By whom?", he asked, but Siamun slowly rose his shoulders.

"I do not know, my boy. All I know is that you are invited by someone who feels that you deserve to be here", the elder answered. Atemu tilted his head in question and Siamun marvelled at how the man had changed over the course of two years. He had never thought of ever witnessing mild curiosity to display itself on Atemu's face.

"Mahado?", came the question, but Siamun shook his head.

"No, he would not be allowed to invite you. Isis, perhaps, as she is honoured here, but I don't think they had the chance to ask. I speculate that Yami requested you being here", Siamun said as they reached the top of the hill. The music had increased in volume, but only slightly. It was a combined melody of drums, tambourine bells and instruments Atemu could not name. Women were singing in the lilting tune of their language and on a raised platform he could see Elves dancing. Then, his eyes were drawn towards the sky where he saw Dragons with their mates and would-be-mates. They were twirling around one another, their wings touching in caresses as they rode the warm currents to gain altitude.

"Beautiful", Atemu whispered in awe, ignoring Siamun who stood next to him in as much awe as him. Even though the elder had witnessed this dance many more times than Atemu could guess, he was still marvelled by its beauty.

"Ah, Atemu!", someone called and Atemu felt how he had to tear his gaze from the dancing Dragons to let it fall upon the Emperor. He bowed his head as the Elvenlord approached them.

"Lord Reian", he greeted and as he stood upright again, he watched the gentle smile on the man's face. Reian was followed by his wife, Shauri, and their advisers as he came to greet Atemu. He lay his strong hands upon Atemu's shoulders in greeting.

"No, Atemu. Reian will do as you are my honoured guest. The black Dragon himself requested your presence on these special days, but he had no need to request. I wanted you here as much as he did", Reian said and a proud smile lingered on his lips as he came to stand next to Atemu and guided the younger male to a platform where his throne was situated. The Elvenlord could feel how rose-red eyes watched him, a questioning fire burning within those depths.

"You want me here?", Atemu asked unbelieving. Reian nodded.

"Siamun tried to explain you, didn't he? Don't worry, Atemu, he told us everything and you deserve to be here. You saved the black Dragon without taking advantage of him. You visited the caverns of the Adamantine Dragons and you befriended them. You saved the Dragons who were stationed at the Valence Academy and you bear the marks of burned acid. If only all humans were like you, we would be able to call them our friends. You are our honoured guest Atemu, we thank you for what you did", Reian explained and he turned Atemu to the show what happened above them.

"And... you gave a Dragon back his wings", he softly said in Atemu's ear as he pointed at Yami who had taken flight and was trying to find a current to rest upon. Slowly Atemu walked forward and off the platform as he watched his friend circle the air among his kin and Reian let him. With a knowing smile he looked at Siamun, who smiled back just as knowing.

Atemu slowly climbed a small hill away from the Elves and surrounded by just a few floating lanterns and a lot of blooming flowers, he fixed his gaze towards the dancing Dragons. The disappearing sun had painted the sky with red, orange and yellow colours as from the east the stars began appearing in the dark blue night. He happily remained where he was, only slightly illuminated and surrounded by rhythmic music. As the night's sky progressed, Atemu watched how small lanterns floated upwards to the Dragons and he smiled when he could still see them. There were few now prior to the dance starting, some had already flown off in pairs, but Atemu didn't mind. He would stand watch all night if he had to.

"You're still watching?", Yami's voice suddenly asked behind him and Atemu smiled. He didn't look away from the Dragons whom where still dancing.

"Yes. I've waited my whole life to witness this and it's captivating. Should you not be up there?", Atemu questioned, but Yami didn't reply directly. Then, from the corner of his eye, Atemu caught someone moving next to him and he slowly lowered his gaze towards Yami's human-form. The similar look didn't catch him off-guard any longer and he felt his gaze moving to look into the cat-like pupils of Yami's eyes. "You changed", Atemu commented before Yami could reply to his earlier question.

"Yes. From way up there you appeared to be lonely. I thought I could accompany you, as there was no one to dance with for me", Yami said and his gaze slowly turned upwards, before moving back down to look at Atemu. "I guess you weren't as lonely as I thought you were". Atemu still stared at him and then gave a tiny smile.

"Well, it's nice to watch the dance with another", he said and then turned his gaze back towards the sky. Then, as an afterthought he added: "There was no one to dance with?" The tanned male could still feel Yami's crimson eyes lingering upon him, before the pale man gently touched his shoulder. When Atemu looked at him again, Yami gave a small smile.

"I thought that, perhaps, you would like to join the dance with the Elves and me. I think that, even though it has been some time, I still remember the steps", Yami said and Atemu looked at the illuminated platform in the distance. Slowly Yami outstretched his hand so the tanned man could take it and for a moment, Atemu only stared at it, before he accepted.

"I can't dance, however", Atemu warned, but Yami shook his head slightly as he lead the way towards the platform.

"It's not much of a dance, it's very simple. The true meaning behind the dance is about trust and understanding", Yami explained as he lead Atemu up the steps. He placed Atemu next to him and then lifted his right forearm with his fingertips pointing skyward and leaving his palm outstretched. He situated Atemu's right arm against his in exactly the same manner, before he took a step. "The dance is to circle around each other, to gaze at one another without letting go". Atemu mimicked his step forward, but they turned around one another on the beats of the gently music. The bells of the tambourine ringed gently as they took another step, the lilting voice of the singer diminishing to the background.

Other couples circled around them, but Yami kept them on their spot as if he owned it. _But then again,_ Atemu mused, _Yami thought he owned everything. And he is a good dancer_. Why he thought that, he didn't know, but in time with the rhythm they moved and slowly, everything seemed to blur. Yami smiled and Atemu could feel the skin on Yami's arm heating, the familiar warmth comfortable against his own tanned skin.

"I thought you would never change again", Atemu whispered, afraid to disturb others. Yami's smile turned slightly sad and for a moment his thoughts seemed to drift away, but then they returned and the cat-like pupils turned to look at him again and Atemu's skin tingled. He felt he couldn't look away, everything was a blur as they circled around each other, their hands touching gently and their movements exactly the same.

"I have said a lot of nevers. Some I shouldn't have said and most I still regret", Yami answered, whispering as Atemu had done. The tanned male gave him a small smile.

"You promised me I will never get hurt".

"I will do my best to uphold that promise", was the reply and Atemu still smiled.

"I know. I trust you", he said and this time Yami smiled at him too. Atemu's senses seemed to dull as they continued the dance, but it also felt good as he focused on just a few things. The slow rhythm, the carefully placed steps, the warmth from Yami's hand against his, those mesmerizing crimson eyes staring at him... He felt warm and comfortable, but also light-headed and he found he couldn't break his eye-contact with Yami. He didn't want to look away, he wouldn't be able to. It felt good to be in his presence, to have him near and Atemu realised he had been afraid. Afraid Yami would've left him the moment he had been able to fly again. The fact he was still here warmed Atemu to his core and it made him feel special.

When the music stopped it broke the spell that had befallen upon the dancing people. Elves walked off the platform with their arms intertwined and when they came to a halt, Atemu felt disappointed. He could've enjoyed this dance for a while longer. Yami continued to hold his hand gently as they faced each other. Yami smiled, his crimson eyes aflame with something Atemu couldn't read.

"Thank you for dancing with me", Yami said in a hushed voice and it made the tanned male smile to know that he wasn't the only one who wanted the spell to linger just a little longer. Then he frowned slightly.

"You're leaving?", he asked, but Yami shook his head slightly.

"No, but I am getting hungry", the pale man replied, before he slowly leaned forward and pressed his lips against the corner of Atemu's mouth. "Thank you", he whispered again, before he let go and walked away, breaking the spell completely. Atemu took a slow, shuddering breath, before he moved off the platform as well. He saw the black Dragon rising into the air, before the dark night swallowed him up and it made Atemu smile. He watched how the Elves were putting everything away, cleaning up their instruments and he was suddenly accompanied by Siamun who was eating a fruit sorbet.

"You're still up? The Dragons left ages ago", Siamun muttered and Atemu looked at him. His skin still tingled and he still felt light-headed, but then he gave a tiny smile.

"There is a lot to see in the city, even at this time of day", he answered and the elder nodded.

"Yes, there is. Well, just be careful you won't get lost, I'll be heading back inside", Siamun said and Atemu watched him. Like him, Siamun had been given on of the rooms in one of the giant palace towers. Atemu bid him goodnight and the elder left with the same farewell, leaving Atemu in the darkness of the city. Few lanterns were still lit and floating above the flowers. Many others were gone, either blown out or floating somewhere up where the Dragons had flown. Slowly, Atemu made his way back towards the palace, because, even though it was dark, he felt safe. Some lights were still burning behind the windows of homes he passed and as he got closer to the palace, he noticed it almost gave off light on its own. The white stone seemed to radiate in the darkness and he smiled at it, before moving to the door that would lead to the staircase within the tower.

"Yami?", he asked when he spotted the black Dragon in his human form near the door. When he got closer, crimson eyes looked at him expectantly. "What are you doing here? I thought you were out hunting", Atemu inquired and Yami tilted his head slightly.

"My manners abandoned me when I left you like that. I wanted to apologize and at least be sure to bring you to your rooms before I would embarrass myself any further", Yami said and Atemu smiled at him, lying a hand on Yami's shoulder.

"You don't have to apologize. It was a little sudden, but I wouldn't want you to starve because of me", the tanned man said, before he moved to the door and opened it for them both. Yami shook his head.

"It was inappropriate", he muttered, following Atemu upstairs. Gently he linked his arm around Atemu's and when rose-red eyes looked at him questioningly, he gave a small shrug. "I left you there, while everyone walked off with their arms linked. To make sure their dance partner would get home safely. I might as well try to act like a civilised being and make sure you get home safe", he explained and Atemu nodded slightly.

"I'd like that", the tanned male replied softly. "Besides, we have a long way to go", he added while gazing up the long, circling staircase. Yami chuckled softly and Atemu felt his skin tingle again. It had never really ceased, but now it flared up again and he couldn't help but tighten his arm around Yami's. He would not let go this time even though there was no reason to keep Yami next to him. Aside from the fact he felt comfortable again, felt safe, felt warm... Even the pale skin of the male next to him seemed to grow warmer by the minute and he smiled.

"I don't know if I can sleep in a bed after spending outside for so long. Remember that the first night we allowed ourselves some sleep you pulled me close so I wouldn't turn in an icicle and become inedible?", Atemu asked and Yami laughed softly.

"Yes, I remember. I have never eaten you though, but I'm glad I didn't let you freeze to death", the pale man replied. Atemu nodded.

"Although", he cut in, "I do believe there were times where you did want to eat me. I know I did".

"Mmh, yes... I remember you wishing you could slit my throat after I gobbled up that deer you just hunted", Yami said, tapping his chin with his fingers gently. Atemu nodded gravely.

"I was a little hungry at the time. But then, afterwards, we actually did very well at hunting. You scared them and I shot them". Yami smiled as he looked at Atemu.

"I did like scaring them. We made a good team at hunting and at roaming around the Adamantine Caverns. Plus, I did like how we burned Valencia City", Yami commented. Atemu rose an eyebrow.

" _We?_ I don't recall any _we._ You burned and I watched is what I remember".

Yami shook his head at that. "No, you were at the head of our little army, so you burned the city as much as I did. Well, our army did. It was worth missing the breeding season for, though". Atemu smiled as he remember the corrupt city and the Dragons who recaptured it.

"Then you saved me from the acid-spitter", the tanned man said, which brought a small frown upon Yami's face.

"Not saved exactly. You will forever bear its marks", he said disapprovingly. Sometimes he still wished he had reacted quicker, that he could have actually pulled Atemu away from the acid in time, but whenever he looked at the black scars upon the tanned body he was always slapped in the face by reality. He hadn't been on time and he hadn't been able to save the male next to him. In his nightmares he could still hear him scream...

"But you killed her for me. Reian said she deserved it for no Dragon should ever harm an innocent child, so, you did save me. Had you not been there, she would have sprayed both me and the girl with enough acid to make us melt", Atemu said, breaking Yami's train of thoughts and his crimson eyes moved towards the man beside him. He let a small smile grace his lips and he was given one in return. "And now we have made friends. Human friends, Dragon friends and Elven friends. Who would've thought?"

Yami chuckled at those words. "Indeed. Human friends for the one who hates humans. We have come a long way, Atemu. A long, long way", the pale man said and they halted in front of Atemu's bedroom door. Atemu nodded.

"Yes, we have come a long way", he said, not yet letting go. He didn't want to, it felt good this way. It felt as it should, although he didn't know how he knew it was this feeling he was looking for. He couldn't even name it. Yami faced him slowly.

"It's because of your kindness", he whispered. The spell was back, they could both feel it. It made time stop, it made their skin tingle and it made them unable to look away from each other.

"And what about your kindness?", Atemu asked just as softly. Yami snorted at that.

"I possessed no kindness. You pulled the barbed harpoon-head from my body, you sew the leather of my wing even though I really didn't want you to. I threatened you and you defied me and showed me that some people did possess a good heart. You in particular", he said and Atemu smiled. He knew his face was heated from the compliment, but he wasn't embarrassed about it.

"You didn't eat me", he replied and lay a finger on Yami's lips when the other male wanted to speak up. "You didn't let me freeze to death and you sheltered me from the rain, while you could have just let me be on my own. Maybe I opened a door, but it already existed before you met me". Slowly he removed his finger, just in case Yami wanted to speak, but the other unconsciously took a step closer to the tanned man which was welcomed. Atemu could feel the heat radiating from the pale skin, comfortable and warm as it had always been.

"I should still thank you, though", Yami whispered and Atemu smiled.

"You're welcome", he replied back softly and he could feel how Yami suppressed a shudder. There was tension, even he could feel it, but he didn't want it to go away. A pale hand slowly inched its way towards his face, fingertips brushing against the skin of cheek.

"I'd like to kiss you", was the whisper.

"Haven't you already?" His question was answered by a soft snort.

"That was not a proper kiss".

"Then what is?", Atemu whispered. He had barely finished his question when soft lips pressed against his own. A thumb stroked his cheek, Yami's other hand touched the other side of his face and he fisted Yami's shirt in both hands, pulling the other man closer unconsciously. Yami sucked on his lower lip, a tongue flicking out to lick it and Atemu gasped softly. His eyes had fluttered close, the sensation of Yami's lips on his almost overwhelming. His back was firmly pressed against the door, a forked tongue touching the roof of his mouth and Atemu felt his hands jerk Yami impossibly closer. Slowly the pale lips released his own and he stared at Yami, shaking slightly, his face flushed and with Yami's forehead pressed against his own. Their noses were touching and he gazed at the red hue covering the pale cheeks.

"If you wish for me to stop, tell me now. I will put all of this in a bottle with a cork covering the lid and I'll throw it out into the sea to never find it again. Or I'll show you all of my desires till as far as you can handle", the pale man said, his breathing as laboured as Atemu's.

"What desires?", was the whispered question. Atemu felt he was shuddering, butterflies were roaming in his stomach and the kiss had left him breathless.

"To touch you, to have you, to love you", Yami answered, his thumbs stroking Atemu's face.

"You hate humans". Yami swallowed hard and Atemu's hands pulled at his shirt.

"Not you", he said.

"Show me", Atemu whispered and he felt the dam break when Yami pressed his lips against his own again. It was soft, gently and urgent, feeling as if Yami had waited too long. At the lick of a forked tongue, he parted his lips hesitantly, unsure of what to do, but that uncalled feeling of wanting more of Yami returned when that forked tongue touched the roof of his mouth again. He, somehow, undid one of his hands from Yami's shirt and tried to look for the doorknob. Lips left his own and the door opened of it's own accord perhaps, because suddenly Atemu knew he was inside his room and pressed up against the other side of the door that fell close in its lock. Yami whispered something under his breath and Atemu saw soft lights lighting up on several spots of the room, before he closed his eyes to drown in another kiss. Yami's hands brushed down his skin from his cheeks to his neck and moments later his lips were kissing the corner of Atemu's mouth before they left a butterfly trace towards a spot just below the tanned ear. A surprised gasp left Atemu's mouth and his hands jerked again to pull Yami closer.

Tanned hands slowly moved up. The silken shirt Yami wore wrinkled as they did, feeling strong muscles beneath the cloth and then they felt up a slender neck, before his fingers tangled in Yami's tri-coloured hair. Atemu heard the pale man hum in appreciation as he continued to kiss and suck on the skin of Atemu's neck. Yami went lower, one hand gently pushing the hem of Atemu's shirt away so he could kiss and suck on the junction between the tanned neck and shoulder. He was pleased to hear the laboured breathing next to his sensitive ear, to feel the tanned fingers tangle in his hair and to have to other male pulling him closer still.

Yami smiled at the shirt's low cut as he kissed lower, pushing the hem of the shirt away from his lips. His sensitive ears easily picked up Atemu's rapid heartbeat and he heard it nearly skip a beat when he let his pale hands trace the outlines of Atemu's chest and down to the man's waist. His fingers slowly pulled the material from the snug-fitting trousers Atemu wore and he shuddered when he could touch skin the same moment hot breath from tanned lips ghosted over his ear. Another shudder passed his spine when cool lips touched down upon his heated skin as Atemu tried to participate. A rumble came from Yami's chest when he felt soft butterfly-kisses upon his neck and for a moment he halted his administrations to just feel and enjoy with his own hands on the skin of Atemu's lower back.

Wanting to at least return a favour of pleasure, Atemu tried to mimic Yami's kisses. He had enjoyed them, his trembling knees and laboured breath the evidence. Those warm hands on his skin were making it hard to think straight, especially when those lips returned to his collarbone and then lowered ever so slightly. A soft growl made him pause his kissing and he waited for Yami to tell him what he did wrong, but he shuddered when warm hands moved from his lower back to his waist and then slowly up, taking his shirt with him. Thumbs danced over his ribs and they skimmed his nipples, before Yami made him take the shirt off.

"That's better", Yami whispered in his ear and for a moment he looked at the black scars covering Atemu's right arm and part of the skin covering his ribs, but then he looked back into those rose-red eyes. Slowly, he let his warm lips attach themselves back to Atemu's skin, back to the point where he had left off before he had growled softly. He let his fingers trace Atemu's spine, before he made his hands roam the front of the tanned torso. He wanted to feel everything, memorizing all that made up the other man and then he heard it. So soft, but still there, an embarrassed moan escaping Atemu's lips. He halted his kisses and fixated his gaze upon the flushed tanned face and those burning rose-red eyes. "That sound", he whispered, letting the tip of his nose touch Atemu's.

"Yes?", was the question.

"Make it again", Yami ushered, but before he could ask for it again, Atemu kissed him. Yami let him, he let the other suck on his lower lip and he let the moist tongue into his own mouth. He stroked his fingertips along Atemu's spine again at the same time he let his tongue touch the one of the other, but he didn't hear the moan. There was a noise, but more a surprised sound than that of pleasure. Fingers tangled in the hem of his own shirt, pulling it up and it slithered out of his trousers easily. He let his tongue stroke Atemu's again as he let his hands roam free and there it was, soft and delicate, but definitely there. His internal flame spirited, flaring almost uncontrollably by the wanting sound from the tanned man. He broke the kiss, an eager smile on his lips as he helped Atemu to pull his shirt off. That sound made him want more, made him hungry for something he hadn't wanted in a long time.

"That sound. Create that sound when I please you", Yami requested and he watched Atemu bite his slightly bruised bottom-lip, before cool hands roamed over his torso. Almost as if the other asked if it was okay. A growl escaped Yami's lips. "Your father left you no knowledge", he cursed, before he placed his hands atop of Atemu's, pressing the tanned hands against his skin. He leaned forwards to Atemu's ear, kissing the shell. "Whatever I touch from you, is what you may touch of me and more. Come", he said and took a gentle hold of Atemu's hands, leading him away from the door.

"Will you create a sound?", Atemu asked softly. Yami turned him so he would face the pale man and there was a smile on Yami's lips. Atemu tried to stop the trembling, the shaking, the feeling, but it all felt so good and natural. He hadn't felt a lot in years, but this was tearing at his walls. It frightened him, but he knew he could trust Yami.

"I will sound clear, I promise", the other said, following his words with a light kiss against Atemu's lips. He still held the tanned hands in his own and he stabilized the tanned man when the back of Atemu's knees hit the bed. Gently, Yami ushered Atemu onto the mattress and undid both of their boots. He crawled in-between Atemu's legs, letting them circle his outer thighs, before he kissed the tanned man and let him lie down. Skin against skin, Yami's inner fire flared at the sound of a soft moan. His chest rumbled and he groaned softly when Atemu tried to grasp something and let his finger rake across his back. He broke the kiss, letting his partner gasp for air as he let his lips move down to the front of Atemu's chest, where he had left off before. Gently, he touched the sweat-covered skin and let his forked tongue lick the nipple in front of him.

Atemu gasped softly, his hands fisting in Yami's hair as his whole body jerked at the new sensation. He trembled, lifting his knees so he could brace his feet against the mattress and the feeling of Yami's hips against his thighs made him shudder. Yami chuckled softly, his breath ghosting over the sensitive flesh, before he let his lips circle it. Gently he sucked, a genuine groan leaving Atemu's mouth who kept tangling his hair. "Mmmh, Yami", Atemu whispered, not intent on calling the other, but both the moan and name slipped from his throat. Still, Yami looked up, his tongue slithering passed his lips for a mere moment to taste the air. Atemu let his hands cup the pale face and he pulled the other in for a kiss. Yami happily obliged, coming up slightly, moving his hands from Atemu's hips to his chest to let his thumbs work on the hardened nipples.

Tanned hands moved down to mimic Yami's, and he slowly let his fingers ghost over the pale skin. Yami hummed softly, urging him further and Atemu let his hands feel more as he pressed them against the heated skin. So much the same and yet so different. Atemu shuddered when he knew he wanted to feel more. More of what was so different, of what was Yami and what made the other so suddenly alluring. He fisted the bedsheets when Yami let his lips wander down his body again, moving out of range for his hands to hold onto the other man. The forked tongue tickled his sides, before lips pressed against the black scars.

Yami found them intriguing, the mark of someone who won a battle some were meant to lose before it had ever started. He kissed the markings the ribcage gently, before he kissed his way down Atemu's flat stomach. Perhaps he was acting a little fast now, but he had to. He wanted more, he wanted to have and feel more from this beautiful body before him. Yami heard Atemu's breath hitch when his lips touched the rim of those offending trousers, but he let his thumbs stroke the inside of Atemu's raised legs and a moan reached his ears. It was a louder one then he had heard before and with an almost feral grin he let his hands stroke their way towards the button that kept everything from him.

Atemu's breath sped up against his wishes. Surely, he had been naked in front of Yami before, but never undressed by the man. The stroking had surely kept his mind in another state, but it was back and gently he grasped Yami's arms. Crimson eyes looked up at him and as if understanding, Yami pulled him up in a seating position.

"Yes?", was the soft question. Atemu didn't know. It felt right, whatever right it was and he didn't want to stop but...

"I don't want to be alone", he said. It only partially made sense in his mind and still Yami seemed to understand. He let them raise from the bed and placed Atemu's hands on his own hips.

"You won't be", Yami whispered in his ear, before kissing him gently. Atemu's breath hitched when he felt Yami stroked his outer thighs and his bum, before stroking their way up to his lower back and to trace his spine. Atemu stepped closer to Yami, the familiar warmth returning when he pressed his bare skin against Yami's. He let his hands feel the soft fabric of Yami's trousers, the outline of the pale man's bum in his hands and Yami moaned softly when Atemu pressed his thumbs deeper into the clothed flesh as if to make sure it was really there. Yami pressed him against the alabaster bedpost and wedged a knee between his legs. A small stroke of said knee made him moan louder than ever, his body shuddering and grasping Yami's hips urgently.

Again the knee stroked his clothed flesh and he shuddered, his knees trembling and he broke the kiss to lean his head against Yami's shoulder. Again it stroked and he moaned once more. "You're not alone", Yami whispered in his ear and Atemu wondered if this was what Yami felt. The wanting urge to feel more skin, to have them both bare of restrictions. He let his hands trace Yami's spine and then dip below the rim of the dark trousers as far as they could. Yami shuddered, the knee halted effectively and Atemu took a ragged breath of air. His mind stopped swirling, if only for a moment as Yami seemed to encourage him with a slightly harder stroke of his knee.

The heated skin beneath the palms of his hands felt amazing. It was still hidden, like a treasure to be uncovered and slowly Atemu let his hands roam to the front of Yami's trousers. With his head leaning upon Yami's shoulder, he could watch his hands work on the button. They trembled, but the trousers opened easily and he looked up into crimson eyes. Yami kissed him softly and in the back of his head, Atemu registered his own trousers loosening around his hips. Almost feverish with a want to thank the Dragon for understanding, for being patient, he deepened the kiss and let himself be undressed. He slid Yami's trousers passed the slender hips and let them fall to the floor. Yami helped him back to the bed, their lips still locked, but it was okay now.

Yami slowly settled himself back between Atemu's legs, letting his hands move down towards the tanned hips. He broke the kiss and then righted himself to look down upon the man before him. He stroked the flat stomach and let one hand rest upon Atemu's thigh, his thumb stroking dangerously close to the exposed flesh. He watched Atemu's eyes and he liked to see them roam, before they settled on one point.

Pushing himself up on one elbow, Atemu outstretched his free hand and touched the white scar situated between Yami's stomach and thigh. Slowly he traced it with his fingers, before he tilted his head and let his fingers travel upon the erect, pale flesh. A soft moan and visible shudder made him smile as he looked up at Yami. Something burned in those crimson eyes and slowly he lay back down. Yami's chest rumbled and he let his lips kiss Atemu's skin just below his belly button. Atemu moaned load when those lips moved upon his flesh, a forked tongue tickling his skin, before there was a soft suck on the tip. A cry escaped Atemu and he moaned when Yami kissed the head of his flesh.

Atemu shuddered as a coil tightened in his stomach and he fought it. He had felt it earlier, something twisting and turning in a pleasurable way, but if it would snap it would end. Another cry left his lips when Yami gave another suck. Atemu trembled when Yami's breath ghosted over his skin when the pale man whispered something inaudible. For a moment Atemu felt he was allowed to catch his breath when he felt Yami move, but then those lips were back upon his neck and he tilted his head away slightly to give the pale man more space. Tanned hands roamed over the pale chest, thumbs skimming over nipples and ribs, before settling upon pale hips. Gently, Atemu squeezed the skin and he heard a pleased rumble from deep within Yami's throat. Still, there was so much space between them with the pale man hoovering above him and he let his hands attach themselves to Yami's outstretched arms.

"Please", he mumbled softly, gently pressing against Yami's elbows to make them bend ever so slightly. His legs found their way around Yami's hips and even though he didn't know what he was doing, he knew it was okay to do so. No more space, no more walls. Pale arms let themselves be settled on the bed and Atemu stroked the pale back when it had lowered so that their chests were pressed together. Yami kissed him again, one hand tracing his sides, before settling on his hips. Their stomachs touched and gently Yami rocked his hips against Atemu's. He moaned loud against Atemu's lips as their members rubbed against one another. Atemu emitted a surprised sound, his back arching to get more from the delicious feeling.

Yami did it again, receiving a muffled, pleasured cry from the other male and he moaned once more himself. He broke the kiss to gasp for air, to let his forehead rest against Atemu's. Rose-red eyes looked at him, the tanned chest heaving and hips rubbing against his own in need.

"I'll take you all the way if you want. It will hurt, but that will go away", Yami whispered and he moved so he could let his fingers rest against Atemu's anus. Atemu frowned at the feeling of slick fingers against him and Yami smiled. "Elves are addicted to ultra-soft hands. Their cream will work as a lubricant, trust me", he explained, circling the only entrance to the body beneath him with one finger.

"I trust you. It's okay", Atemu whispered and Yami nuzzled him gently, before pressing his lips against the skin below Atemu's ear. As gently as he could he pressed the first digit into the tanned body, his inner flame flaring when the heat of within nearly matched his own. An uncomfortable grunt came from Atemu's lips, but slowly Yami pressed on and stilled his finger when it was fully inside. He moaned softly in the tanned ear, before he kissed his way down to the junction of Atemu's neck. He moved his finger, in and out, until he had Atemu breathing more relaxed.

"Feel me kiss you, try to relax", he whispered as he pressed his finger back into the slowly willing body. Atemu moaned softly when Yami sucked on his nipple, but he couldn't help the tensing of his body when Yami pushed a second finger inside him. It was only a bit and Yami stilled to prevent pain. Instead, he left his fingers as they were, kissing his way towards Atemu's belly-button. When Atemu relaxed he pulled his fingers from the man and lubricated them again with the cream, returning one finger easily with Atemu sighing softly at the intrusion. His second digit was gradually accepted into the warm core of the body beneath him and Yami made the rumbling sound deep within his throat. He nuzzled the flat stomach, his forked tongue flicking out to lick at the semi-erect flesh.

He couldn't wait to enter the tanned body. He wanted to please it, to have Atemu know how much he loved the male and to let him know how much he wanted him to be his. To have Atemu all to himself and to never share with anyone else. Yami smiled when Atemu shifted his hips and gently he moved his fingers in and out of the entrance. He righted himself a little, trying to get a better angle and when he pushed his fingers back into the -now- willing body he felt Atemu shudder and heard his breath hitch. Smirking, he pushed his fingers back in with slightly more force this time and Atemu moaned loud. Yami pulled his fingers from Atemu to lubricate them again and once he had both fingers back inside he let a third push in slowly. It was easier now that the cream had spread more, but displeasure still crossed Atemu's face and Yami tried to kiss it away.

The coil loosened again when Yami stretched him again. Atemu took deep breaths, trying to focus on Yami kissing his stomach and licking his flesh. It took a while to relax, but if he wanted that feeling back, the feeling made him tingle all over and made the coil so tight it would almost snap, he had to let Yami move his fingers again. He shifted his hips, moaning softly at the feeling of having something inside him. Yami happily obliged to the request and stretched Atemu further as he pushed his fingers in and out of the tanned body. Atemu moaned constantly now, bringing a smirk to the pale lips and Yami flicked his tongue at the spilled pre-cum when he had the chance. Soon, now. Soon he would let his partner fall over the edge, feel the bliss that brought a bonding and an unwanted rumble emerged from within him.

Slowly he pulled his fingers from Atemu and then slicked his flesh. He shuddered as he touched himself, before he captured Atemu's attention by pressing a kiss against the parted lips. Rose-red eyes looked at him and he rubbed his nose against Atemu's.

"I love you", he whispered softly, pressing his flesh against the prepared entrance. The tip went in easier than he had anticipated, but the tensing muscles made him halt. Yami trembled, his mind blank and tumbling at the same time. Atemu took deep breaths and Yami pushed in slightly more. Atemu's hands wrinkled the sheets and the tanned man could feel his muscles tensing. He told them to relax, but they wouldn't listen. The coil loosened, his body stopped tingling with good feelings. He tried to take deep breaths and listen to Yami breathing above him, but he almost couldn't hear him through the haze that took over his mind. He shifted his hips slightly, trying to find a less painful angle, but that didn't work. He groaned softly, could feel Yami's hands upon his hips to hold him still. Another push and even though it didn't hurt as much as the acid or the fire, Atemu cried out.

"Hush, it's okay", Yami suddenly whispered in his ear and the pale man kissed the spot beneath the appendage. Heated hands rubbed his legs and outer thighs, as if to distract him from the thick flesh buried deep within him. Atemu loosened his legs around the pale waist and slowly undid the sheets from his death-grip when Yami tried to hold them. Pale hips rolled softly, testing the boundaries and even though there was pain in Atemu's gasp, there was also surprise and pleasure. The amount was small, but it was there. Yami let his forked tongue slither passed his lips, tasting the air around them and rolled his hips again. A moan this time and he pulled his hips back slightly, before pushing back in.

Atemu groaned, his legs tightening again slightly, before he could relax once more. He was burning, he was sure of it, but he rolled his own hips and Yami pulled out farther and pushed back in quicker this time. He moaned, his face contorting, before relaxing again. Yami repeated the process and Atemu heard him moan this time. He listened for it and smiled when he heard the sound again as Yami pushed back into him. The pale man released his hands to take a hold on his hips and the push and pull occurred faster this time. The angle was different and Atemu groaned, fisting the sheets again. More of Yami's flesh went from his body and pushed back in and Atemu could feel his breath quickening. He tried to follow the pace, rolling his hips slightly to give Yami more room to push into him. The coil tightened again, he could feel it in his stomach and he moaned softly.

A touch, it was perhaps a mere touch, but it made him cry out in surprise and pleasure all the same. His skin tingled, he tightened his legs around Yami's waist in a good way and he bucked his hips to have Yami hit that spot again. He could hear the rumble from Yami continuously now, along with the moaning and the panting. Atemu cried out when the spot was hit at a better angle this time, his skin aflame and he called Yami's name. The coil tightened ever more as that spot was hit over and over again. Yami had quickened his pace, pushing into him with more force than before and he mimicked the rocking rhythm as quickly as he could. He couldn't stop crying out, with every thrust of the hard flesh he felt things he had never ever felt and they were addicting. For a moment he looked at the Dragon who brought all these feelings, his eyes closed and his pale body covered in slick sweat. Then those crimson eyes fixated upon him, as if Yami had felt him staring and a rather harsh thrust had him screaming in pleasure.

A hand squeezed his flesh and Atemu cried out again and his legs tightened around Yami's waist. He wanted to draw the man nearer, more into him and then the stroking. The hard squeezes that made his skin burn and made the coil tighten so much it hurt.

"Mmh Yami", he whined, afraid it would all end, but then he could feel the tickling sensation of Yami's forked tongue.

"Let go", the Dragon breathed, pushing into the Atemu's body with want. He wanted this man to release, to show him what pleasure he brought. Atemu screamed as Yami made a hard thrust against the man's prostate and the pale hand rubbed his flesh towards the tip where the thumb stroked the sensitive head quickly. The coil let go, snapping on cue and white sperm spilled from the tip, Atemu's body tensing as the pleasure coursed through his body.

Yami moaned loud, pushing into the tensing body, hitting Atemu's prostate over and over again to prolong the pleasure. The skin of his flesh burned and as he pushed into Atemu, he cried out when he came. His hips were jerking uncontrollably as he spilled himself inside the tanned body, his body trembling as the onslaught ended and their jagged breathing filled the room. Atemu occasionally moaned softly, hazy rose-red eyes trying to see beyond the stars. He let go of the sheets with one hand and grasped Yami's pale arm. He pulled at the appendage and the owner of said arm followed willingly, lying his head upon Atemu's heaving chest.

Yami let moans leave his throat as he tried to catch his breath and he focused on the rapid heartbeat beneath his ear. Atemu stroked his arm and let the fingers of his other hand stroke his sweat-covered back. Where the man found the strength, Yami didn't know. He didn't want to move anymore, content with his current position. He could die happily now, having watched all walls Atemu had created over the past ten years crumble as he had pleased the body beneath him. He had not only left the body bare, but also the soul. Yami merely hoped those walls couldn't be rebuild throughout the night.

With his eyes half-lidded and having found some strength somewhere within, he slowly rose and pulled his flesh from the tanned body. Atemu moaned at the loss, before he sat up slowly. His body protested, as it was too tired to care, but he wriggled the blankets from beneath him and he blushed slightly when he knew Yami was watching him clean himself slightly. Then he looked up, locking his eyes with the crimson ones.

"Will you stay?", he asked softly and he watched a tired smile form on Yami's lips.

"That's the other best part of this evening. We cuddle and sleep", was the whispered reply and slowly Yami drew Atemu against his chest as he lay down. He retrieved a pillow from somewhere off the floor as did Atemu, before they settled down. Atemu let his hands roam over the pale chest, the skin still burning hot and he snuggled closer to the other man. Yami nuzzled his hair slightly, a content sigh falling over his lips.

"Thank you", he whispered and Atemu mumbled something softly. Yami smiled. "For trusting me", he added and Atemu let his hand stroke over the pale stomach affectionately. Then he let his black and tanned arm circle the pale waist and Atemu felt how Yami tried to pull him closer. Content and comfortable, Atemu fell asleep.

/\

 _He is beautiful_ , Yami mused as he let his gaze wander over the sleeping body in bed. Gently he placed the tray on the bedside table, before discarding his robe. His eyes roamed over the half-covered body, the uncovered half revealing a contently sleeping face and softly falling and rising bare chest. Atemu was hugging his pillow against his face, breathing evenly and Yami smiled at the sight before him. Slowly he moved the covers with his hand and climbed back into bed. He didn't halt when the tanned man mumbled softly and instead moved back to Atemu's side. As he lay down, a black and tanned arm circled around his waist and Atemu nuzzled the side of his chest gently.

"Yami", was the soft murmur, cool breath ghosting over his heated skin and Yami felt his inner flame burning fiercer at the feeling.

Atemu slowly lifted his head to look at Yami and he smiled slightly at the confused look on Yami's face. "How did you know it was me?", the pale man asked and the question made Atemu's smile broaden. He snuggled back against Yami, pressing his naked body against the warm, equally as bare body next to him.

"Because I know it's you who has warm skin like this. Because I know you wouldn't let anyone else in this room of fear they could hurt me. You promised me, so all options of whom would enter this bed were you", Atemu reasoned, then as an afterthought added: "You also said you wouldn't leave for long when you actually left this morning".

"I see", Yami merely commented, his hand unconsciously stroking Atemu's bare back. Slowly he moved, propping pillows up against the headboard and letting the tanned male rest his head on his stomach. Atemu tried to move, but groaned uncomfortably when he did so. It hurt, his body was clear on that and so was Yami, who immediately tried to comfort him by letting him lie back down.

"Ssh, don't overdo it", the pale man said and Atemu sighed softly, but let himself rest against Yami's warm body. He noticed the tray on the bedside table and rose an eyebrow.

"Where did you go to this morning anyway?", he asked softly and Yami chuckled softly.

"I retrieved breakfast for the both of us", was the answer and Atemu hummed softly when Yami got the tray and placed it onto the bed. The sight of warm toast with butter and sugar-covered strawberries made his stomach rumble.

"This looks very nice, but why did you take it all the way up here?", the tanned man asked softly. Yami nuzzled his hair as he plucked a strawberry from a set-aside bowl and fed it to Atemu.

"It is customary for the receiver to rest and be pampered by the other. I like to follow that custom, as I know you need rest and I don't mind pampering you. That means I have to bring you breakfast, but I figured that dropping a dead deer on the bed would be out of the question", Yami stated and it made Atemu chuckle.

"Yes, it would. This is a much better option", the tanned man replied as he let Yami feed him. He heard a soft rumble and smiled at the sound of appreciation.

"Good, because after breakfast, I'd like for us to have a long warm bath. It will help with your muscles and I get to touch more of you, before I'll take you back to bed to cuddle all day", Yami said, before he took a bite of the warm toast himself. Atemu hummed softly, but didn't reply directly. These feelings were new to him. He had noticed this morning when he had woken to singing birds and the sun shining through the window he felt a little different. At first he had been afraid Yami had left, but when he had remembered the spoken words he had felt at ease. It was a feeling he had only felt recently, but this was the first time he could actually name it. He had noticed his walls had crumbled down and that he wanted Yami to return as quickly as possible to be back in the safety of those warm, strong arms. It confused him, yet it pleased him and it angered him. His emotions were a jumbled mess, but he already had had some time to sort them out. And now Yami was back, he didn't want to think about it for a little while. Maybe tomorrow when he felt better.

"I'm really glad you didn't drop a dead deer on the bed", Atemu commented and he enjoyed listening to Yami's rumbling chuckle from within his chest.

"So am I. This is much more enjoyable", Yami whispered, his arm circling the slender waist of the tanned male as he nuzzled him some more, a soft purr escaping his lips.

 **/\**

 **Thank you for reading. I hope you really enjoyed it. If you find the time, please leave a review, but I am long glad you took the time to read, so you've already made my day.**

 **If some things did not make sense, don't worry. It's meant to not make sense just yet. :)**


	2. At the Sea

**Hi all! A really short one-shot idea this time, but I thought it up while driving home and I felt like sharing. I am working on a longer idea, but that one isn't finished yet.**

 **On another note, which I forgot to mention in my previous one-shot: if you want to know the music I listened to while writing the lemon it was Origin Spirits of the Past. There is a really nice video on youtube, so if you'd like to read the lemon again with a song I'd say look it up. ^^**

 **This one-shot is made to show how Atemu and Yami interacted in the earlier stages of this story and their relationship. I am not entirely sure yet, but this is about three weeks into their journey towards the Elven Empire.**

 **Warnings: No beta has read it. I've read over it a few times, but since English is my second language I know there are some mistakes in this piece I probably missed. Further there are no warnings.**

 **Genre: Fantasy and General, I think. Nothing much happens here.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **/\**

The sand beneath him was cold and so was the breeze coming from sea into land. Atemu shuddered slightly, wrapping his cloak a little tighter around him, but aside from that he didn't move. Rose-red eyes were fixated upon the gentle waves of the sea stretching out before him, the wind playing with his blond bangs, letting them tickle against his cheeks. Not for the first time since staring out at the sea, he realised he was far away from home, farther than he had ever hoped to be. From the corner of his eyes he noticed Yami settling down next to him after shifting the sand to his liking. The warmth from the Dragon's body was comforting in the cold breeze that surrounded them.

"You are awfully quiet", Yami commented softly, effectively breaking Atemu's train of thoughts. His rose-red eyes remained trained on the sea, however, before he replied.

"You're awfully chatty". He had perhaps said it with a little more ferocity than he had meant, but truth be told, he wasn't looking for a conversation. He felt at ease when Yami rumbled a chuckle.

"Touché", the Dragon said, shaking his head to ruffle his bone and leather collar, before he stretched both his front paws and yawned. The forked tongue rolled out of his mouth and a shudder passed the black body as Yami snapped his mouth shut and settled down again. His crimson eyes were half-lidded while the sun rose in the east and slowly warmed the world around them.

"Have you ever seen the sea before?", Atemu suddenly asked the comfortable silence and cat-like pupils in crimson eyes focused on him.

"Sure. I have flown all over this world, the sea is no hidden place to me", Yami answered. Atemu still didn't look at him and fell silent again. Yami, blaming the lack of sleep from the previous night, felt himself adding: "It's very beautiful and dangerous at the same time. At times like these the waves are gentle and welcoming, but there are times when the waves are as high as houses and then the sea will swallow up whatever there is to eat. But today... today it is beautiful". He had seen it himself, when he had flown through a storm to get home. A whole ship swallowed up with one wave to never resurface again. That storm had given him a new perceptive of the sea, still, today he enjoyed watching the waves roll upon the beach. It was very calming and he closed his eyes again as the sun ascended higher and warmed his scales.

" _The waves rolled as the wind played with the water. The swirling created a whirlpool towards the depths of the oceans and touched the core of the heated earth beneath. When a breeze blew down the swirl of water, it touched the earth and with the four elements combined magic was born in the form of a Dragon_ ", Atemu recited softly, his rose-red eyes dull as he remembered the story. Crimson eyes fixed upon him when Yami lifted his head from the ground.

"Where did you hear that?", he asked curiously. Atemu gave a soft sigh.

"My mother. She used to tell it to me before bedtime. She and I always wanted to go to the sea", the tanned male replied softly.

"A wise mother to tell these tales. Not many mothers do", Yami commented.

"She was a loving mother", his companion cut in and Yami looked at the tanned male. He could see the rose-red eyes were dull and glassed over with what he perceived as sadness. He took a breath to comment, but before he could reply Atemu snapped at him curtly: "I don't want to talk about it" and Yami knew he shouldn't really say anything. Still, with his dignity attacked so freely, the need the reply to the snap overwhelmed him.

"All I wanted to say was that you inherited her loving trait. If she is watching us, I'm sure she is proud of you", the black Dragon said and his sensitive ears picked up the soft sigh escaping Atemu's lips. Having righted the wrong, Yami lay his head back onto the ground and closed his eyes as he tried to get some sleep. At least with enough sleep he wouldn't act so soft any longer, he would return to the human-hating beast he was and that was much appreciated.

"Thank you", Atemu whispered and even though he still did not look at Yami, he could hear a soft rumble come from within the Dragon and he was sure he heard the words "your welcome" fall over the black lips. For a while Atemu watched how ships entered the docks, their white sails prominent against the blue sky. Seagulls accompanied ships wherever one went and he watched them fly about for a little while too. He listened to the way Yami's deep breathing turned to slight snoring and changed to normal overtime, waking up as he gave a wide yawn. Half-lidded crimson eyes gazed at the human who still sat in the same way and on the same spot prior to the Dragon falling asleep. Yami flicked his tail slightly annoyed.

"What's for breakfast?", he asked, his stomach complaining about the lack of food. Atemu turned to look at him and the human gave a slight shrug with his shoulders.

"What do you want?", came the returning question and Yami rolled his eyes. Never a straight answer from this one, was there? Then he eyed the port where ships were docking or leaving and his forked tongue licked his lips.

"How about fish? I'd like a change in the menu every now and then", Yami commented and he watched Atemu rise to his feet. "Make it a big fish, like a shark", the Dragon added as if he was about to sent his delivery boy to the market. In a way he was, he was really not in the mood to enter the port or town of his own accord.

"All right, I'll see what they'll have. You'll stay here, right? I don't want a repeat of what happened in the other town a few days ago", Atemu said and Yami snorted as he lay his head back down on the ground.

"Don't worry. Not a scale on this body wants to enter that town lest I murder someone. I'll be staying here, safe and sound", Yami replied and Atemu nodded before he gave a small wave with his hand and walked up the dune towards the road leading into town.

 **/\**

 **Thanks for reading. If you have the time, please leave a review. I hope you enjoyed reading it, writing this piece made me feel really calm and comfortable, so I hope it did the same for you. :)**


	3. Barbed Harpoon

**Morning! At least, it's morning for me hahaha**

 **I'm sorry for the long wait, I didn't plan on it, but the part I was writing was harder than I thought, but it's being beta'd as we speak. ^^ Therefore I had to write something else to post, which was also harder than I thought... my fingers did not do their work properly so I had to retry a few times.**

 **Still: it's finished. I wanted to post a chapter from the beginning of the story. Some things will be made clear, other things will still remain in mystery hahaha**

 **Warnings: Mentions of blood, violence and abuse.** **This one-shot has not been beta'd!** **I have read it over a few times, but there may still be mistakes!**

 **Genre: Fantasy and General.**

 **Pre-needed info!:** _I need to give a little info before the chapter starts. Atemu is about 21 years old and even though people are usually grown-up at that age, Atemu sometimes seems to be stuck. He has grown up physically and he perceives the world as a grown up, the "stuck"-part is the fact he can't get out from under the abuse he suffers. I hope this makes things a little clearer. :)_

 **I hope you enjoy!**

/\

As he listened to the snarling of the black Dragon, Atemu wondered if his mother had ever been afraid of the Dragons she had treated with love and care. He looked at the row of glistening white teeth, but then he looked at the crimson eye staring at him with anger and a swirl of pain. The huge beast fought against his restraints, but his movements were slow and unwilling. Blood streamed from the wound in the Dragon's thigh, right where the belly and leg began, the soft leather pierced by what Atemu knew was a barbed head of a harpoon. His uncle loved hunting with the object, imitated from a barbed arrow, he had made a deadly weapon even deadlier.

"What do you want?" The question was snarled and wheezed through locked lips. The iron bond around the Dragon's muzzle cut into the softer black scales as he continued to fight it. For a moment Atemu stared at the Dragon and then felt his fear falling off of him.

"I came to help. The barbed head has to leave the wound and I have to close it properly or else it'll become infected. Or you might bleed to death if that's what you prefer", Atemu answered as he slowly walked up the raised dais to the middle of the tower. Another loud snarl bounced off the walls, echoing slightly, before disappearing into the open air as the roof of the tower was still non-existent.

"You! I saw you", the Dragon said, his cat-like pupil fixated upon Atemu. The tanned young male slowly walked towards the bound head and stared back just as he was stared at. "Why would you wish to help me? You might as well leave me be". Atemu glared at the black beast.

"And give him the satisfaction of killing you? No, I'd rather die because you ate me than have him have his way with you. He'll hurt you far worse than the pain you're in now", Atemu warned and the Dragon snarled at him. Atemu defied him, before moving to the heaving and blood-soaked flank. The dark-red liquid streamed from the wound and Atemu took a deep breath, before he let his fingers touch the edges.

"Don't you dare touch me!", the Dragon snarled, pulling and tugging at his restraints and the iron creaked under the pressure he put it in. An inhuman shriek of pain tore itself from the Dragon's throat when Atemu slowly moved his hand into the wound. His uncle had taken the shaft off of the head, but for his own sick pleasure had left the head in the wound. Every time the Dragon moved he had a chance of the barbs cutting through more flesh and muscles. The warmth of the black body and the soaking blood almost made Atemu nauseous, but he took a deep breath and pushed on into the wound. Another scream bounced of the tower walls and the Dragon struggled fiercely.

"Stop moving!", Atemu grunted, his fingertips touching the barbed head as he felt his arm move into the wound passed his elbow.

"Stop touching me, filth!", the Dragon bellowed, the iron hinges creaking loud as he tried to pull his muzzle from the restraints. He would show this human, nobody touched him like this without paying for it with their lives. Atemu felt blood stream onto him, his face soaked with the warm liquid as he pushed his whole arm into the wound and enclosed the head with of his hand. Big harpoons didn't fly nor where they lucky enough to hit a Dragon on their soft spots, but the one his uncle used was different. It wasn't very big, but did its work perfectly once it was lucky to hit home. The head couldn't fit in his hand, but he could at least protect the insides of the Dragon from being hurt further as he slowly took the head out. It had lodged itself in the soft tissue, but somehow he managed, closing his eyes when blood splattered freely.

The scream the Dragon gave as he tore his head from the restraints shook Atemu's whole body, the pain and anguish tearing him apart, before he pulled himself free from the Dragon. In the deafening silence, where a black head turned to glare at him, he dropped the barbed head of the harpoon.

"Done. Do with me what you want, but at least it's out", Atemu said and a forked tongue flicked out to taste the air. Mesmerized, Atemu fixated his gaze upon the glaring crimson eyes, but everything was broken when the door opened with a loud bang and Mahado rushed into the tower and up the raised dais. Atemu blinked confused as he was enveloped in a bear-tight hug, blood soaking both of them now.

"Atemu", Mahado whispered, his voice shaking. "What were you thinking? I was worried when you were suddenly gone and then the Dragon... I told you to wait", the older male said, but Atemu stared at him.

"How could I wait? He was dying. The head is out, he only needs herbs and stitching", the tanned male replied, still confused at the behaviour presented to him. Mahado gave a soft sigh, before he turned to the black Dragon.

"Please, it will be okay. I will treat your wound, but please, the one who attacked you is coming back and if he sees your head is out of the restraints we'll be in trouble", Mahado tried to reason, but black lips curled when the Dragon growled.

"If he comes in I'll eat him. I'll let him know how much pain he's brought to this world. To my kind", the black Dragon snarled and before Mahado could say anything else, Atemu watched how Aknadin walked into the tower. The beast fought against his restraints at the sight of him entering, but when he could not break free, it made Aknadin laugh.

"Pathetic beast", he mocked, before his eyes fell upon his blood-soaked nephew standing near the Dragon. Aknadin was not afraid of the teeth being able to reach, as they couldn't, while he stomped up the stairs and raised his hand. He looked into the dead, dull eyes of his nephew, before he smacked him. Hard. Even the Dragon fell silent.

"Defying me, are you? Trying to help this monster? It's not worth you looking at it! I don't want you touching it ever again, do you hear me? It will die for what it's done!", Aknadin barked, but rose-red eyes glared at him.

"He didn't do anything. It wasn't his fault! It was an accident!", Atemu raged back, his voice getting louder as he let the words fall from his lips. "You're the monster!", he aimed at Aknadin and he didn't cringe when the older man grabbed his shirt and dragged him away from the tower. Nothing was said or shouted, but the eerie silence almost said everything. Mahado looked at the black Dragon, who stared at the door, before heaving a sigh and lay his head down.

"You smell of Dragons", he stated and Mahado nodded. Slowly he walked to the bag he saw on top of the raised dais and when he opened it he found herbs, needles and thread. He shook his head at the needles and thread, but he took the herbs from the bag and then walked down. A forked tongue flicked out at him.

"Will you let me help you?", Mahado asked and the Dragon growled at him.

"You have nothing to do. I'll have to burn the wound close", was the reply. Mahado held up the herbs and the forked tongue flicked at out at them, before he glared at the older male. "Fine, but don't get any ideas. It is merely because that filth did so much work that it would be a shame to leave it as it is".

Mahado merely nodded and gave no reply. He found it best not to, lest he be beheaded. As gently as he could he placed the herbs in the wound, before he let the Dragon close the wound with his own fire. The wound closed, leaving a burning red scar in the black scales and soft leather skin. Mahado watched the Dragon gasp for big gulps of air, lying his head back down on the stone floor. The tanned man looked at the Dragon, but the magnificent beast did not say anything.

"I cannot free you yet. I'm sorry", Mahado offered, but the Dragon grunted at him.

"Just leave me alone", came the reply to his words and Mahado nodded softly. He bid the Dragon farewell, leaving him as he was, unable to free him on his own anyway. Mahado knew he couldn't open the iron restraints, he didn't have the means to, but perhaps he could find a solution for his problems over time. His eyes had to adjust to the darkness outside for a slight moment, before he let the lanterns of the village guide him home. He could hear music coming from the tavern where he knew that people celebrated the capture of the wild Dragon. The tanned man paused for a moment at a turn in the road, but then he decided against visiting Atemu.

He had been truly happy to see nothing had happened to the young twenty-one year old male. He knew the other didn't care for what could have happened, but Mahado still did. The scream had been terrifying, had made him think horrible things of Atemu having angered the Dragon enough to be beheaded. Or worse and Mahado shuddered at the thought even though most of the danger had passed. He knew Aknadin wouldn't dare to kill his nephew. Hurt him, yes, but at least not enough to get images of a bloodied corpse lying at the feet of the black Dragon into Mahado's head. Without realizing, he reached his home, the warmth of a blazing fire banishing his dark thoughts and where eyes watched him expectantly. One pair an ocean-blue colour, the other coloured blue as dark as the night and he smiled at the Dragons guarding his home. Aknadin wouldn't dare hurt them, they were his and not wild like the ones the village chief hunted.

"We heard the scream. Is all well?", Isis asked. Her voice was soft and she let him stroke her head when Mahado asked her to. The darker one, if only by a few shades, let herself be stroked as well.

"Yes. Yes, all is well. Atemu removed the weapon and still lives. The wound is closed and the black one can rest a little easier now. Perhaps only for a few hours, but some strength should return to him", Mahado answered and the lighter Dragon nodded her head, before raising it on her long neck to stare into the darkness of the night.

"What will happen to him?", Mana asked, enjoying the affection for a little while longer. Mahado stroked her muzzle gently, sighing softly.

"He will be killed. Eventually", the male whispered, his voice filled with dread. Isis sighed softly too and when he released Mana's head, Mahado settled down on Isis her front paw. He let his head rest against her shoulder, her warm skin comfortable. For a moment he gazed in the blazing fire, Mana's head resting against him when she settled down closer to Isis and lay her head upon her feet. Isis heaved a large sigh and they felt a shudder pass through her body before she too lay her head down and stared into the fire.

"What will we do?", Isis asked softly and Mahado grimaced.

"We'll have to make sure the chief doesn't get any ideas about the two of you. It is almost time to leave, but I dread the day we do if the black one is still alive. I tried to persuade Aknadin to keep the Dragon alive, to earn profit of his hunt. Alive, the black one is worth more than dead, but I'm not sure he listened. He also knows that when moving the Dragon he could easily escape", Mahado reasoned. Isis made a soft rumbling noise in her throat, but didn't reply. Neither did Mana and the male left it at that. They would figure something out, but not tonight, he mused as he let himself be engulfed by the warmth of Isis' scales and Mana's head near him. Not tonight.

/\

The oaken doors moaned once they opened and crimson eyes opened to watch someone enter the prison he was kept in. Slowly he rose his head and flared his nostrils, still pleased with the fact the humans had not decided to bind his head back against the floor. His whole body suffered under the restraints, his muscles cramping and his skin sore. He looked at the person entering the broken tower, leading a horse inside, which snorted in fear at catching his scent.

"Balthazar", the voice whispered and he watched a tanned hand stroke the deep-brown fur gently. The horse let itself be guided inside the tower and he watched it, before rose-red eyes bore themselves into his own.

"You", the Dragon murmured, eyeing the human who had dared to pull the harpoon-head from his wound. He eyed him for a moment longer, as did the human, noticing the simple way he was dressed and with the long bow slung over his shoulder with a quiver hanging at his hip. The horse snorted again, scraping the stone floor with his hooves and Atemu heard the Dragon's stomach rumble loudly, breaking the Dragon's interest in something else other than food.

"Yes. I'm glad you are not bound yet, I thought you might be hungry", the tanned male replied, before he guided Balthazar closer to the raised dais. He saw crimson eyes watching the stag being dragged into the tower and a forked tongue flicked out to taste the air. "Can you reach it?", Atemu asked when Balthazar tried to dance away from the raised dais. Crimson eyes watched him more closely, the early morning sun warming the black scales as little as only a spring sun could. Then the Dragon reached out its head, stretching the long neck and immobilized body as far as he could. Atemu tried to let Balthazar walk the stag closer, but the horse snorted loud and once again tried to get away, but Atemu held the bit firm and the horse stopped, trembling from head to toe. The stag's head lay onto the first step, the antlers reaching up and the black Dragon grabbed them. Slowly he dragged the stag up the dais, Atemu releasing the horse to cut the rope and once he was free, Balthazar danced away from the steps.

The stag was held down by claws digging into flesh, the Dragon's feet bound to the stone. It didn't matter though, for as soon as the stag was in reach, sharp teeth dug into the dead animal, ripping apart flesh and organs to feast upon. Blood trickled into the crevices between the stones, but it went unnoticed. He also never noticed the human leaving, taking the horse from the keep, leaving him alone to eat. Still, he tried not to be disturbed when he noticed the human returning. Slowly he ripped the flesh from the bones, but his crimson eyes were fixed upon the tanned male. He lifted his head from the carcass when he watched the male move towards a self-made bed beneath a canvas which was strung like a roof.

"Why did you come back?", he asked. He just wanted to eat in silence. He was already bound in chains, he didn't need humans to watch him. To see him suffer. The human placed his bow and quiver on his self-made bed, before he turned and his crimson eyes noticed the bruise on the cheek now that his rumbling stomach was not distracting him.

"I live here. Don't worry, I won't stay long. There is work to do", the human answered. The Dragon still eyed the male.

"And earlier? Why did you came back earlier? You should have left me to die. Yet, you also brought me breakfast. I will not be in your debt, not now, not ever", the Dragon growled, his upper lip curling and showing his sharp teeth. The human didn't react, but merely stared at him for a moment, before replying as if he suddenly thought of it:

"I care for Dragons. If I do not help you, what good am I? My uncle will surely try to kill you and I will try to stop him. All I'd like to know is your name".

He thought about it for a moment. He didn't want to become known to humans, unless he wanted to eat them. But the situation begged for his manners and his nostrils flared slightly. "Yami. My name is Yami", he replied and the human bowed his head to him slightly.

"My name is Atemu. I will try my best, Yami", the human answered and then he walked from the self-made bed and out of the tower. There was nothing he could do after all, Yami knew even though his body hurt beneath the restraints. He continued eating, listening for other sounds to alert him, but aside from hearing the people outside, none came inside. They left him alone, as if he was forgotten, which angered him. But it also gave him time to rest, which he made good use of. The sun grew warmer as the day progressed, his black scales sucking up all they could, but even though he had his eyes closed, he was aware of everything. He wouldn't let the humans surprise him.

Yami's stomach rumbled softly as the evening settled in. He could smell food being prepared all around the tower where he was kept. He was appreciative and annoyed at being ignored, although the feeling of his healing wound kept him more appreciative than anything else. It would still hurt for a few more days and he didn't know how much damage there was inside, but the herbs did their job of keeping an infection out of his system which he was glad about.

When the oaken door opened, he opened his eyes and rose his head to see who would disturb him. It was the young male, guiding his horse inside who pulled a doe behind him this time. Yami eyed the strong bow slung across the male's shoulder and the quiver at his hips, before he looked at the horse who still did not like him. His stomach rumbled loud however at the sight of food, so he ignored the horse. The young male didn't say anything to him, but whispered reassuringly to the horse who had to walk closer to the raised dais. Yami had some trouble when he couldn't reach the doe to pull it up to himself, but the human helped out after cutting her loose. Inch by inch the doe moved up the steps until Yami could grab her and the human stepped back as he began on his meal.

The horse was led back outside once more and it took a while before the human returned, Yami was trying to clean his mouth when he did. The human moved to his make-shift home where he hung his bow, quiver and cloak before he took a seat upon his bed to empty a pouch he had carried beneath his cloak. Yami tried to ignore him and as the human left him alone, it was easier to do so. Still, the black Dragon watched him from the corner of his eye as he saw how the young male mixed herbs together, before consulting a book he got out of a trunk at the end of the bed. The silence engulfing them was oddly comfortable to Yami's opinion, until the oaken doors opened once more. He focused on the group of men walking into the tower and he growled, his nostrils flaring as he laid sight upon them: the men who had shot him down from the sky.

"Atemu!", one of them called out. It was the oldest of them all, the one who had actually shot him, the uncle whom had beaten his own nephew. Yami growled, but all the others did was stare at him. The young male placed his mortar down as he rose to look at Aknadin.

"Yes?", was the question. Anger swirled in Aknadin's violet eyes as he glared at the young male, but Atemu merely stared back at him.

"Get out. You freed him and fed him against my wishes. Get out", Aknadin hissed softly as he walked up to Atemu. The tanned male didn't move.

"This is my home. That Dragon lives here now, so I feed him. You have no right to hurt him", Atemu stated, glaring back at his uncle.

"I am chief! I captured it so I can do with it what I want and I can kick you out if I want. Now go!", the elder bristled and he pushed Atemu to his bed to get his things. He then turned to the men waiting for him, pointing at the Dragon. Rose-red eyes watched how flushed faces from too many drinks smirked eagerly at the black beast still bound.

Yami flared his nostrils, knowing very well he could do little. He could try and snap at them, but he couldn't reach that far. His body was still immobilized, the restraints around him much tighter than the one had been around his muzzle. He snarled at them as they walked up the raised dais, his body fighting against the bonds, but he couldn't win. An arrow whizzed passed him, the human scream of agony filling the broken tower as the weapon lodged itself in an exposed arm. Atemu moved up the raised dais, his bow held high with an arrow ready to be fired. He aimed it at Aknadin, glaring at the man from where he stood. The older male was red in the face with bottled-up anger.

"I told you to get out!", he called to the younger male, but Atemu growled softly.

"I won't let you hurt him so long as I can prevent it! He is not to blame! You're the monster, you're the one who hurts everyone! You promised my father and my mother, but you can't keep it! This is my house, so get out!", Atemu ordered, drawing the string back as far as he could. His uncle wasn't the only one with bottled-up anger, but while his uncle had felt it for years, Atemu hadn't. He had build a wall around all his feelings and emotions and all of them threatened to spill out of him.

"Don't order me around boy!", Aknadin yelled as he marched up the raised dais. The notched arrow whizzed passed him, more as a warning than of anything else. He could feel the tip cut his shoulder, but the older male pressed on. He wouldn't let this child win, he wouldn't back down. "I will break this monster! I will break what took my brother and his wife from me and then I'll kill it!", he announced, grasping the shirt Atemu wore. The male hadn't brought more arrows and they fought over the bow, they fought for dominance in their struggle. The other men watched their fight, while Yami tried to snap at them when they came too close. The older male tried to dodge it, his hands releasing Atemu, who pushed the older male away from him. The older male pushed as well and Atemu lost his footing as the first step of the raised dais seemed to appear beneath his foot.

"Atemu!", Mahado called out, as he stood at the oaken door, watching the tanned male fall. The pain split Atemu's skull in two as it hit the stone floor, before he lost consciousness. Mahado rushed to his side, feeling Aknadin glare at him.

"Get him out of here. I don't want to look upon him any longer", the uncle said and Mahado bristled.

"This is your doing and you're too blind to see it! Don't even think of coming to my house to collect him!" Gently, Mahado scooped the young male into his arms and walked out of the tower. The bow was still clenched in Atemu's hand, as even unconscious he wouldn't part from it. Once out the tower, Mahado whistled softly as he walked and it only took a few seconds before Isis landed next to him. She folded her wings as she stared at the male before him.

"Please carry him for me. He fell from the raised dais... I have to take him home", Mahado explained and Isis lowered herself to the ground. She helped the tanned man by placing Atemu's unconscious form onto her back gently, before Mahado took placed behind him. She rose from the floor and beating her wings, she rose into the air to glide home.

/\

Pain was the first thing he felt. He tried to hide it, but upon waking, Atemu groaned softly. He was confused and disorientated, not knowing whose ceiling he was staring at through his barely opened eyes. He heard rummaging, the noises seemingly intensified by something unknown to him, before a hand lay down upon his shoulder and he heard something shushing him.

"Don't move too much, it's okay". Mahado's voice drifted through the haze that clouded Atemu's mind and the tanned male winced as he tried to focus on it rather than on the pain in his head. Mahado still held his shoulder reassuringly and Atemu was glad he did. It felt like an anchor to dry land while he was out in the open sea.

"What happened?", he asked softly. Mahado's face and their surroundings were clearer now and Atemu saw how worry settled within Mahado's onyx-coloured eyes.

"You don't remember?", the male asked, biting his lower lip slightly. Atemu winced as his head gave a sharp pain as he tried to move a little. He remembered arguing with Aknadin, them struggling and him falling.

"After I fell", Atemu clarified and Mahado gave a small sigh of relieve. Then he looked worried again, serious even and Atemu felt his own worry grow deep inside him. He tried to will it away, but it ate at him. "Is he dead?", he asked. He had to know. Slowly, Mahado shook his head.

"No. No, he's still alive... It's just... I'm glad you've been spared from hearing him scream", Mahado explained and Atemu took a deep breath. Again he tried to move and he was rewarded with more pain. Mahado pressed him down gently, but urgently. "No, stay in bed. I didn't have to use stitches, but you were still unconscious the whole night. You need rest and breakfast", the tanned man said, staring at Atemu before he rose from the small spot of the bed he had been seated upon. Atemu decided not to argue. Not with Mahado, nor with his head.

"Okay", he whispered softly, got comfortable and watched how Mahado left the room. As he opened the door, Atemu could smell breakfast cooking and his confused mind wondered how that was possible if Mahado was with him, but then he decided Mahado had been cooking before he had even woken up. Letting his eyes fall shut, Atemu placed new stones on the feelings he felt as he tried to shut them up. It worked only a little and he remembered that he had to feel at least a bit, so he let some of his current feelings linger. He refused to think of them however and when Mahado came back, Atemu was asleep.

/\

 **I also need to mention something here: I'm not very good at describing Yami. That is because one: I don't know how and second: I think everyone has a special way of imagining Yami as a Dragon and they should be able to do so. I merely give his colour and some characteristics.**

 **If you want to know how his collar looks like for a little look up a picture of the Dragon named Temeraire. He is the main character in the same-named books and he has a collar like the one I imagine Yami having ^^**

 **Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter and if you have the time, please leave a review! ^^**


	4. First Class

**Hi everyone! I'm sorry for the long wait, but this chapter actually took me two weeks to write. It's ridiculous, I know, but sometimes I was stuck. It's a rather long chapter, but I wanted to show you how Atemu meets the gang and how he has his first class at the Valence Academy in Valencia City (remember, the city Yami commented on as burning down before they had sex?)**

 **Warnings: It's a slow and long chapter, but even though it was hard, it was also fun to write this chapter. Some more things will be explained here and I will possibly write a few other one-shots as well where Atemu has classes just so I can describe the world he lives in and to let you know how much he knows.**

 **This chapter is not beta'd as Miqu is away on holiday.**

 **Yami and Atemu are sulking.**

 **No other warnings apply for this chapter.**

 **Genre: General.**

 **Please enjoy!**

 **/\**

The exquisite gate before them hummed from the amount of magic it possessed. The castle behind it, made from grey-coloured stones, almost appeared dull from where they could look upon it. Atemu looked up at the two immense towers rising up to the sky, their dark red roofs nearly lost in the low-hanging clouds and disappearing sun. Yami snorted loud.

"You want me to be caged behind this fence?", he asked. Deep down, Atemu agreed with the black Dragon. The whole gate enclosed around an open field of grass with a few trees here and there. He would surely feel caged as much as the Dragon without the trees to climb and the possibilities to hunt. And then there was the change in clothing, he had to appear proper and these clothes surely would not help with hunting. The tanned male was long glad Yami hadn't seen him in the school-outfit yet. It was downright ridiculous, although he liked the jacket.

"You won't be caged. I spoke with the headmistress and she told me you don't have to wear a collar like the other Dragons in the meadow owned by the academy. She acknowledges you are a free Dragon and has reserved a barn for you where you can go whenever you like. Besides, it will only be for a few months. I cannot ignore the request from the Elven Empire, especially not if it involves investigations about rumours of kidnapped eggs", Mahado explained.

"I know, but that still does not mean I like being placed behind a fence", Yami reasoned, before his forked tongue slipped between his lips as someone walked across the path towards the gate. Mahado smiled encouragingly at Atemu, before Isis drew the younger tanned male in a hug. She had decided to join them as a human, almost as if she delivered her son at school on his very first day.

"You will have a lot of fun. And there is so much to learn here, even for you. I promise you, there will be no boredom", Isis whispered in his ear. Atemu gave a tiny smile, as he appreciated the gesture, before he hugged her back.

"Thanks". The gate behind them opened up as the lady touched it. Yami eyed her warily, before Atemu was enveloped in an embrace by Mahado.

"Be good. Don't do anything I wouldn't do and it won't be for long. Remember, behind these gates you and Yami are safe from anyone who wishes to hunt a free Dragon", Mahado said softly. Atemu nodded while the black Dragon tried his best to suppress an eye-roll. They knew that thank you very much.

"We'll be fine Mahado. Thanks", Atemu said, returning the embrace, before he turned towards the woman waiting for them. She reached her hand out to him and Atemu shook it gently, her pale hand almost fragile in his own tanned one. She smiled at him though.

"Welcome to Valence Academy mr. Sennen. My name is Headmistress Selena Marlin and I will see to it you'll have a nice stay with us during the winter", she said, before she turned slightly and opened the gate a little further. "Come, I'll show you around and towards your shared chambers. And I'll show you where Yami can stay". Atemu gave one last look at Mahado, who squeezed his shoulder slightly, before he followed the fair-haired woman through the gate. Yami followed him, not very pleased but knowing he had no other choice, before Selena shook hands with Mahado and Isis.

"Good luck", she wished them and Mahado thanked her, before she closed the gate behind her, Atemu and the black Dragon. Mahado waved as the trio left upon the path leading towards the castle a little further away. Atemu waved back, before he turned his head and kept his gaze straight ahead. A chill ran up his spine and he took a deep breath as he tried to calm unwanted feelings in the pit of his stomach. They vanished when he willed them away and he looked around as the Headmistress showed him where Yami would stay while she told them a little about the grounds surrounding the castle. Yami's new nesting place was a large barn made of stone and a rain-proof roof, surrounded by other barns where nests were made. Some barns were big enough to house four Dragons, but Yami's place was private as far as Atemu could see. The nest within was made by other Dragons and the tanned man was sure some rearranging would be done as soon as both humans had left the Dragon to his new home.

"Do you like it?", Atemu asked. Yami looked at him, flicked his tail and then snorted.

"It'll be okay", he said, before he made fire in the large pit that was meant for it. Fresh wood had already been collected and it burned easily, the growing warmth chasing away the October chill and the spreading darkness. It would snow soon, Atemu could feel it.

"There are thick blankets in the nest and around it as well. New wood will be collected every day and you can feed yourself near that stone tower. The Keep is where we housed our first Dragons, but as you can see, the expansions are covering most of our ground. The Keep is the central place where you can be fed, be washed or just enjoy conversations with other Dragons. It is also where the hatchlings reside", Selena told them and Atemu eyed Yami slightly when he could see the scales being raised. Then they lowered and Yami placed himself on the ground near the fire.

"I'm not hungry, but I will remember. Thank you for your hospitality", the black Dragon said and Selena smiled kindly. Atemu gave the Dragon a tiny smile.

"Good night. At least we'll both be dry", he commented and Yami chuckled softly. Then he gazed at the human.

"I hope the stone walls will treat you well. Goodnight, Atemu", the black Dragon answered back and Atemu nodded, before he was led towards the castle by Selena. By now, lanterns lit up the road leading towards his new home and he could see lights behind the colourful glass windows.

"The academy was built by Sir Richard Valence, who thought that all humans should know about Dragons the way he did. His Dragons helped him building this place and they taught humans about them and their ways. The teachings evolved when other teachers where assigned and people began to take Dragons as their companions. The banner", Selena said as she pointed at the banner hanging above the oaken door, "is a token to Richard's wife: Rose". Atemu looked at the banner. It was white, with a red rose in the middle. The rose was surrounded by an intricate design of silver lines and curls. Atemu had seen the banner before in the city and Mahado had explained him it belonged to Valence Academy. It was still beautiful.

"You own all Dragons on these grounds?", he asked softly as they entered. He was being stared at when they did, his bow and quiver an immediate eye-catcher, before they stared at his shoulderbag, his cloak, his hair and his overall appearance. Somehow, very deep down, he was glad he wore his new clothes instead of his hunting clothes. Selena cleared her throat softly and students immediately returned to their own business. Either by returning to their conversations or quickly walking from the main hall into another room.

"Valence Academy is a school for those who own Dragons, so no, we don't own all of them. Most Dragons are owned by the students who have had rigorous training before they are accepted within our school. Some people are also chosen by us to join. Your age equals those of the fourth year students, though unfortunately, there are not that many. You will share the fourth-year-chambers with Jonouchi Katsuya and Yugi Muto", Selena told him as they walked up different staircases. Through the windows Atemu could see that the front of the castle with its two towers was the highest, behind the building it was lower with an open courtyard in the middle. Atemu suspected the classrooms to circle around the courtyard, but he would find that out soon enough. He could see the fires near the barns where Yami was from one window, before they entered the right boys-only tower and Atemu gazed up at a circling staircase. Lanterns were placed along the wall every few steps, illuminating the way brilliantly. Atemu stared at the lanterns, before his mind made him remember he was no longer in the forest where there was no electricity. He already looked forward to his warm shower, before he turned to the Headmistress next to him.

"The fourth floor is where you will reside, don't worry, you can't miss it. There is a common room with a staircase that will lead to the bathroom and your sleeping quarters. Mahado has send your books to us, they are waiting for you on your bed as will be your class schedule. I hope you'll feel at home, mr. Sennen and if anything comes up, please come and see me", Selena said, before she shook his hand again. Atemu watched her leave, before he walked up the circling staircase. He thought about the rooms as he ascended the stairs, realising it would be a pretty long walk every morning and evening considering every "year" in the tower consisted out of two floors. Every year was a floor up and Atemu shook his head at the continued rigorous training the headmistress had been so proud of.

As he reached the fourth floor, Atemu eyed the silver number next to the oaken door. The door itself opened almost without a sound, either the hinges had been recently oiled or the door had been blessed with magic. The common room behind the door was a mess, however, and Atemu couldn't help but stare at the jackets draped over large armchairs, books left on the two-seating sofa and coffee table. A fire burned brightly in the hearth, keeping the chill out of the room, before Atemu's eyes fell upon games. Boardgames, card-games, magical games... the large table covered by piles of homework was equally as covered with those games. Thundering footsteps came down the stairs, joined by a cheerful scream before a short, young male burst into the common room and hid behind an armchair. Another male came down, tall and blond, his hand filled with a wooden sword. Two pairs of eyes, one honey-brown and the other amethyst, stared at him while Atemu stared back at them. The silence thickened as Atemu's eyes were pulled towards the shorter, hiding male. Tri-coloured hair much like his own, except there were no blond bangs in the spikey black and amethyst coloured hair. His face was surrounded by blond bangs though.

"Hi", the shorter male said as he got up to his feet and continued his curious stare. "Are you lost?"

Atemu refrained from raising his eyebrow. "I'm new", he merely stated, turning his gaze to the blond male. He was muscular and seemed pretty capable of defending himself. The tip of the wooden sword pointed to the floor and the blond now held a relaxed stance as he gazed at Atemu. Then a broad grin spread out on his lips and the other mimicked him.

"You're Atemu? Great! We've been waiting for you since this morning, 'cause your books are already here", Yugi said cheerfully and Atemu's gaze was drawn back to him again. He shook the male's extended hand and, after the wooden sword was deposited upon the homework-table, the blond shook Atemu's hand as well with much enthusiasm.

"We are Yugi and Jonouchi, your room-mates. Sorry about the mess, we kind of got caught up in our games", the shorter one said and a blush covered his cheeks as he bit his lip when he eyed the state of the room.

"I'm Atemu Sennen", the tanned man said, even though he was aware they already knew. Jonouchi shrugged, still with a grin on his lips.

"We didn't feel like making homework", he said with a wink, before he took his wooden sword off the table and walked upstairs. Atemu noticed he was not dressed in the school uniform, though Yugi was, minus the jacket and the boots. "Come on! We'll show you your bed!", Jonouchi called from half-way up the stairs and Yugi laughed, before he raced up after the blond. Atemu followed, knowing he would hurt their feelings if he wouldn't. The bedroom was as much a mess as the common room, although his bed was tidy aside from a few books neatly packed into a box. Posters and photos covered the walls around the other single four-poster-beds and they showed different things: Dragons and family photos. Atemu looked up at a photo above, what clearly was, Yugi's bed.

"Siamun?", he asked softly and Yugi rose his eyebrow.

"You know my grandfather?", was the returned question and Atemu nodded as he gazed at the picture. True, Siamun was a little younger in it, but it was definitely him.

"Yes, I know him a little", Atemu said and Jonouchi grinned.

"That's because Siamun is famous!" Yugi laughed a little embarrassed as Jonouchi exclaimed the words, but he didn't deny them either. Atemu gazed at the photo just a little longer, before he turned to Jonouchi's bed. Something was familiar there too and he gave a tiny smile when his gaze fell upon a photo of Shizuka.

"She is your sister", he commented softly and Jonouchi looked at him, before following his gaze towards the photo he was looking at.

"You mean Shizuka? Yeah, she's my baby sister. She works for Seto Kaiba, the most annoying and arrogant man who has ever walked this earth! Pray to the Gods you never meet him", Jonouchi said, his grin vanishing in a grimace. Atemu stared at him.

"I've met your sister", he stated and realisation dawned upon Jonouchi's face, which was a little funny to see, before Atemu turned to his bed. It seemed lifeless from the others which where surrounded by posters and photos, but as soon as he placed his bow and quiver near the head of the bed, it looked better.

"Impressive bow", Jonouchi said as he came closer to look at it. Atemu looked at him.

"It's a family heirloom", he said and it was all he wanted to tell them about it. He would only be here a few weeks, Mahado wouldn't leave him here for too long. Besides, they had to travel to the mountains soon as he didn't think Yami would be able to stay here for very long. And if it did take too long, he would leave himself. He'd promised Mahado to give it a try, but he would only try for so long.

"It's beautiful", Yugi commented and Atemu thanked him as he started unpacking his other stuff. Yugi and Jonouchi left him alone as he began on his shoulderbag, the duo deciding to start their own clean-up. Atemu watched them for a moment, before he asked if the bathroom was clear as he took his boots off. Yugi smiled and told him it was okay to use the bathroom for as long as he liked and Atemu nodded his thanks. The bathroom itself was clean, aside from the clutter of hairbrushes, toothpaste-tubes and toothbrushes on the sink. And there were more soaps and shampoo-bottles in the shower than he would need in a whole year, but as soon as the warm water cascaded upon his body he forgot all that. He let everything wash away with the water as he stood there, sighing in comfort.

/\

"He's weird", Jonouchi said as soon as he heard the shower run. The pile of books in his arms was heavy, but he carried it towards the small bookcase next to his bed. Yugi had already rearranged his while the one next to the other four-poster-bed was still empty. No books, no decorations and best of all: no homework. Yugi rose his eyebrow and gave a soft snort with a smirk on his lips.

"So are you. Now, hurry. We've got to at least clean something to a decent level", Yugi said, before he ran downstairs and started to clean up the games littering the table. Jonouchi scoffed, dumped his books back on his bed, before he walked downstairs as well. Yugi was rambling.

"Besides, the first day we arrived here, I wasn't even able to pronounce my own name and you got into a fight followed by detention. Maybe he's just shy", the shorter male continued as he cleared the table. Jonouchi searched through their homework and made two neat piles of it as he eyed Yugi.

"Shy? You think? With that bow of his?" Yugi gave a small shrug at Jonouchi's question.

"Distant then? I don't know, he just got here, give him some space", the shorter male advised, before he cleaned the room of their clothes hanging everywhere.

"Distant... that he is", Jonouchi muttered as he moved himself back upstairs and rummaged through his bookcase before he placed his earlier discarded books into it. He rearranged some photo's to make room for the homework he had taken with him. He still didn't feel like doing any of it and besides, it was almost lights-out anyway. Atemu returned while Jonouchi softly cursed the thick file of paperwork that wouldn't fit between two books, his new presence easily taking the blond's attention of his work.

"Did you enjoy the shower?", Jonouchi heard himself ask, though he didn't really know why. Yugi and him were given little information about their new room mate, just that he had spend a lot of his days in the woods and mountains. Atemu was still drying his hair as he sat down on his bed, before he looked at the blond male.

"Yes. A warm shower is always appreciated", the tanned male commented, placing his clothes beneath his pillow, before he picked one of the books out of the box. _Known Dragon Breeds and their Traits_ , it said on the cover and rose-red eyes scanned the pages as Atemu flipped through them quickly.

"We will have this class?", he asked softly. Jonouchi looked up from the homework he still tried to get into his bookcase, stared at the book on Atemu's lap, before he gave a nod.

"Yeah. Tomorrow morning in fact. Say, what breed is your Dragon?", Jonouchi asked as Yugi got into the room carrying games in his arms. A chill ran down Jonouchi's spine, but he wouldn't show it, as rose-red eyes nearly glared at him.

"I do not own a Dragon. No one does. They are our friends and our companions, but we certainly don't own them", Atemu answered. Both Jonouchi and Yugi stared at him, before Yugi gave a look at Jonouchi who had already opened his mouth. Still, the blond spoke:

"Gambler is my friend and in this world, I have to own him or else he'll be hunted down. He's a Vyr and the only one on this academy". Atemu merely continued to look at him and then closed the book as he rose up from his bed. The blond stood before him, daring him to say anything else. Yugi had placed the games down and even though he was smaller than both men, he stepped in-between.

"You're both right", he said softly. Jonouchi glared at the tanned man before him, before Atemu's glare washed away from his eyes.

"Perhaps", the male said, before he turned away from the blond and placed his book back into the box. Jonouchi could feel his skin crawl, before he sighed loud and stomped towards his bed. Yugi smiled, slightly relieved he really didn't have to stop the fight himself. He wasn't even sure if he would have been able to. A small bell echoed through the room and Atemu looked at Yugi with a small frown on his face. The smaller male smiled.

"That's the sound for lights out in five minutes", the amethyst-eyed male said and Atemu nodded slowly.

"Is it a part of the rigorous training the Headmistress was so proud of?", he asked softly. Jonouchi scoffed.

"This is just a way to control us", he said. Atemu nodded.

"I agree". Honey brown eyes looked at the rose-red eyed male.

"You agree?", Jonouchi asked. Atemu looked at him.

"Yes. The gates around this academy say as much. All must stay within reach of their control, isn't that right?" Jonouchi nodded. It was true, no reason to deny it, but without the paperwork that came with graduation, he wouldn't be able to find a respectable job.

"So, are you two done fighting? Because, if you are, I'll conquer the bathroom", Yugi said softly, receiving two stares from the other men in the room. Jonouchi chuckled softly.

"We weren't fighting Yug'. Besides, you can only conquer the bathroom if you can outrun me", the blond stated matter-of-factly with a smug smirk on his lips. They raced towards their beds, grabbed their nightwear, before racing towards the bathroom. Atemu watched them go and for a moment he listened to their playful banter. Jonouchi eventually returned just as the lights went out, the moonless night darkening the room further. Atemu listened to the rustling of clothes and blankets, the door opening and closing a few times as Yugi returned and Jonouchi left.

"Goodnight", Yugi whispered as the door had closed for the last time. Jonouchi yawned somewhere in the distance.

"Night", he muttered.

"Goodnight", Atemu replied softly, but he couldn't fall asleep immediately. Neither could he fall asleep when Jonouchi started snoring and slowly he sat up in bed. Yugi's breathing was even and sometimes he would mumble in his sleep, but Atemu didn't find it troublesome. With a sigh he lay down again and turned over, but mere minutes later he sat up and threw the covers off of him. In the dark he pulled his clothes on and with his boots in hand he walked out of the room, closing the door behind him silently.

The fire was out in the common room, but Atemu didn't need it. His boots were as silent as they could be as he walked down the circling staircase of the tower and through the empty hallways. All lights were out, the October cold creeping through the stones. Atemu couldn't help but wonder if the cold was part of the rigorous training as well, before he stared at the grand door he had entered the castle through earlier that evening. A small side door was situated next to it and testing it, he found it opened easily. Once outside he took a deep breath, it was cold, but when the wind ruffled through his hair a tiny smile slipped upon his lips. He whistled softly from where he stood and then listened carefully. At first he didn't hear anything, the silence around him a blessing. There were only a few fires lit, but he just wanted to be sure. He whistled again and his smile broadened when he heard Yami call back to him in answer. Atemu's feet easily carried him back to where he had left the black Dragon, the grumbles of the mighty beast guiding him as he got closer.

"What does he think I am? A dog?", the baritone voice asked, cutting through the silent air.

"Not really. I merely wanted to know if you were awake", Atemu answered as he stood in the doorway. Crimson eyes fell upon him and Yami snorted loud.

"Who could sleep when you whistle as loud as you do? You must have woken at least half of the campus", Yami answered, slightly irritated, but there was still something playful in his voice. Atemu shrugged slightly.

"They'll fall back to sleep", he commented. Another snort.

"You didn't sleep". Atemu nodded as he got closer.

"The walls were suffocating and I couldn't lie comfortable in the bed. I couldn't sleep at all", the male offered as an explanation for him showing up at the edges of Yami's new nest in the middle of the night. The black Dragon drew him closer, accepting him between his front legs.

"I thought you would return. Some forest-kid would never be able to sleep among the normal pieces of filth", Yami answered as Atemu lay down and sighed content, feeling the already laid out blankets beneath him as if Yami had really been waiting for him. Suddenly feeling tired, he curled up some more against the black leather chest to feel warmth seep into his body.

"What are you? Some kind of savage? Use the blankets or else they'll blame me for you freezing to death", Yami said as he draped the leftover blankets across Atemu's form. The tanned male complied, murmuring something softly. Yami snorted at the given excuse. "I don't care you're tired. That really is not my fault, to be very honest". Though, as he covered Atemu with the blankets, he was a little more careful than before.

If he had to be honest, he had missed the human who would always sleep with him. He had missed the soft breathing, the reassuring pressure against his chest, which was odd enough because he had always been alone. He hadn't even been asleep when Atemu had called him, but he would never tell the human this.

"Sleep well", Atemu whispered softly and Yami made a soft rumbling sound in his chest as he lay his head down.

"Sleep well", the black Dragon murmured softly and he closed his eyes at the soft sound of Atemu's even breathing.

/\

Dawn came with the calling of Atemu's name. Yami grumbled softly, while the hill of blankets moved slightly and he watched the tanned man move himself out of the pile. "They're looking for you", the black Dragon stated matter-of-factly and Atemu sighed softly. He yawned and then stretched, slowly getting to his feet. As he walked out of the barn, Yami followed his actions with a wide yawn, his split tongue falling over his lips. Atemu watched how Yami stretched and then shook his whole body, before joining him outside with a loud rumble from his stomach.

"Mr. Sennen!", was the call across the field and slowly Atemu turned towards the voice. The Headmistress marched across the field, now wet with dew, her heels slightly sinking away in the grass. "Where were you? We've turned the whole castle upside-down after your room mates sounded the alarm of you missing! How can I care for you properly when you disappear just like _that_?", she asked and snapped her fingers to emphasize her point. Atemu stared at her.

"I did not disappear. I was here", he stated and with his hand he pointed at the barn where Yami resided. The Headmistress looked at him, raising both her eyebrows.

"In the barn?", Selena asked, before she looked at Yami. "Mahado didn't tell... I didn't know you nested him", she said accusingly as she continued to look at the black Dragon. Atemu stared at her with a blank look, though Yami's scales rose in anger. He seemed to grow as he was verbally attacked by the fair-haired woman. His crimson eyes gleamed with an angry flame and he growled deep in his throat.

"I do not nest him", Yami hissed, his forked tongue slipping passed his bared teeth. "It is a communal benefit of us keeping each other alive. Your walls were suffocating him last night and I don't blame him for wanting some fresh air, woman". Selena looked at the black Dragon, before she turned her eyes away from the mighty beast to look at Atemu, whom still had a blank look upon his face. Her nostrils flared slightly.

"You have to understand that it is not approved of to wander through the castle at night. I understand you have slept in the open world for a long time now, but you must get used to the fact that normal people sleep in beds. Even the nested ones we have upon our campus sleep in the castle. I ask you do the same", Selena said, her stare intensifying to a small glare. Atemu merely remained his blank look. Yami flared his nostrils and then twisted his neck slightly so he blocked Selena's stare from Atemu so she had to look at him directly.

"I will not be ignored. I think it is best for you to understand that I _will_ rip your head of your neck. I am not like the pets you keep on this piece of grass. I do not listen to you nor do I feel sympathy for you if something would happen to you", Yami threatened as he pushed the Headmistress back to the castle and away from them. He stepped in front of Atemu and rose himself to his full height with his scales still standing up in anger and hatred. Other Dragons were looking out of their barns to see what was happening, the tense air even waking the sleeping ones.

The Headmistress took a deep breath, her gaze fixated upon Yami. "Leave", the black Dragon hissed, his eyes narrowing as his glare intensified.

"Mr. Sennen? You are expected at the breakfast table within a few minutes. Dress yourself to start your first class in one hour at nine exactly", Selena said, her tone even, before she turned and walked away. Yami snorted loud, but at the touch of a soft hand upon his shoulder, he remained where he was. Atemu sighed softly when Selena was out of hearing distance.

"I guess there are different rules now". Yami snorted at the statement of the tanned man, swishing his tail in anger, before he sat down and glared at the castle.

"We should leave", he answered in return, but Atemu shook his head.

"No, I promised Mahado I would try and I will not fail him". Atemu gave a tiny smile as he said that, patting Yami's shoulder gently. "See it as a challenge and we'll win it", he continued and Yami flared his nostrils, but then finally tore his gaze away from the castle and looked at the man standing next to him.

"Very well", he said, his stomach immediately accepting the comfortable silence as its cue to rumble loudly. Atemu chuckled softly so only Yami could hear it, before other Dragons decided it was safe to venture outside their barns. Rose-red eyes looked upon them in curious interest, watching the differently coloured beast stretching their limbs, yawning broadly at the sun rising in the east. Carefully, Yami got up on his feet as well and Atemu looked at him.

"These are the breeds you like to speak of", the Dragon murmured softly and Atemu nodded.

"Yes, but you should eat. We'll talk later", Atemu answered and Yami sighed softly.

"Fed like cattle. Hurray", Yami said sarcastically, before he trudged after the other Dragons, his stomach leading him to the Keep where there would be food waiting for him. Atemu made his way back towards the castle, the calling of his name had stopped while the Headmistress had been walking back to it and he only found a few students outside the building. Some were speaking to their Dragons, others were eating breakfast. Atemu stopped at the door, looking back upon the packs of Dragon moving towards the Keep.

He watched a few Fairytales, their six wings shining in the early sunrise. All were different shades of colours, but most prominent was the turquoise one. Not only her wings were shining, but so were her scales, as if she had been recently washed. Her wings were like glass with a soft pink colour within the membranes. Long tendrils ending in colourful fins extended from her head, some curling upwards and others curling alongside her graceful neck. The small pack had to step aside when an Avantire passed them, the bulky Dragon easily towering above the smaller ones. Atemu couldn't read the gender of the Avantire, whose red scales were dull as if covered by sand, his tail ending in lethal spikes, all in different lengths. In war, the spikes and their massive strength were their only defence while the Avantires were used to transport goods and weapons across the country.

A small bell rang through the castle and his stare broken, Atemu moved into the building to look at the clock above the door towards the dining hall. He only had half an hour left to eat, dress and find his way to his first class and he heaved a deep sigh.

"Atemu?", someone asked and the tanned male moved towards the voice, finding Yugi coming out of the dining hall. He had a bowl of cornflakes in one hand and a few pieces of toast on a plate in his other.

"Goodmorning", Atemu greeted, not sure what to do first, eat or dress according to the academy's rules. Yugi gave him a bright smile.

"Morning to you too. The Headmistress told us where you were, we really had a scare this morning when you weren't in bed. Really, first day and already breaking rules. Jonouchi likes you", Yugi said, before he handed Atemu the plate with toast. "Here, I figured you'd be hungry and lost. Let's go upstairs and get dressed, we'll have an outside class first", the smaller of the two men continued, before he moved towards the grand staircase. Atemu frowned, looking at him.

"Why are you doing this?", he asked out of the blue. Yugi looked back at him, his big amethyst eyes alight with the same smile that curved his lips.

"Because that is who I am and because you need help. One day you can return the favour", Yugi said, before he walked upstairs. Atemu followed him, nibbling on the piece of toast as he thought it over, but when he couldn't find any faults in Yugi's plan, he shrugged and ate the offered breakfast. Both men quickly made it towards their room where Atemu dressed. Jonouchi was scribbling away on some pieces of paper, greeting them with a quick wave of his hand.

"Homework", he simply answered, before he looked at a clearly finished piece of paper and then scribbled on his own again. Yugi grumbled loud as he filled his shoulderbag with books and homework, the blond protesting loud when Yugi took the work he was copying from the table.

"That's mine. Make up your own answers", Yugi chastised, before he closed his bag and walked downstairs. Jonouchi shook his head, but then packed his own shoulderbag.

"He's nice at first, but be careful Atemu", the blond joked, sticking out his tongue at the staircase when they could hear Yugi protesting from downstairs. Then Jonouchi pointed at the books in the box next to Atemu's bed.

"You'll need the book you held in your hands yesterday, plus the one named _Traits 401_ and the book for the Herbology class. Yug' and I are trying to grow a Nosiac plant, but we're not very good at it. It keeps trying to die", Jonouchi said as he rolled his eyes. Atemu looked at him as he picked the Herbology book from the box.

"It's supposed to die, because then it grows a single flower. An alive Nosiac only has useful leaves that help with sores, but the flower can be used for sores, cuts, stomach aches and digestion problems", Atemu said, placing the books in the newly bought shoulderbag. Jonouchi stared at him.

"She didn't tell me that", he said, before walking down the stairs. Atemu followed him, sighing as he glanced at himself in the mirror. He only favoured the jacket from the dark blue outfit, although the long trench coat was fine as well. It was the same dark blue as the slacks he wore, now tucked into his black boots. He closed the coat over his white shirt, admiring the silver decorations on his shoulders for a moment before he turned away from the mirror and followed both Yugi and Jonouchi out of the common room. They half-walked, half-ran down the stairs, going left after descending the grand staircase while following other students through the door. Atemu saw he had been right the previous day as he stepped into the hallways surrounding the open courtyard behind the door he walked through. Doors were situated in the walls every now and then, accompanied by a golden plate which held a number and text. Yugi and Jonouchi led him passed the doors, before they stepped out in the open fields behind the castle.

For a moment, the sun shone in their eyes, but once used to it, Atemu looked around. Other students and an older woman were waiting for them in the open fields similar to those in front of the castle. The differences were the tennis courts, the Dragon-racing ring and to his delight, Atemu saw a practice field for his bow and arrow. There were stables in the distance and the tanned male could hear horses whinnying as they were probably fed, before Yugi kindly pulled him in line next to the other students.

"Glad the three of you could join us. Class, as of today mr. Atemu Sennen will participate with your lessons. Mr. Sennen, please meet de fourth year students of Valence Academy", the woman said and Atemu gave a soft sigh before he stepped forward and greeted them with a gentle nod of his head. Aside from Yugi and Jonouchi, there were three other girls. A tall brunette with ocean-blue eyes, a smaller girl with red hair in a long braid across her shoulder plus a blonde girl of Yugi's size with freckles and glasses.

"Pleased to meet you", Atemu said as he faced them and he received a greeting in return. The tutor pointed at the girls one by one.

"Miss Anzu Mazaki", she said as she pointed at the tall brunette. The girl flashed him a gentle smile as she rubbed her hands over her arms to warm herself. "Miss Kriss Ironheart", was the second girl who gave him a small nod, before the third girl was introduced: "Miss Rebecca Hopkins". The girl eyed him over her glasses, before nodding slightly, turning her nose up in the air as she circled her arms around those of Yugi. Then the tutor turned to Atemu, giving him a smile. "And my name is mrs. Amelia Wildfire. Pleased to meet you", she said.

"I am pleased to meet you as well", Atemu said, before he was allowed to step back in line. Mrs. Wildfire smiled at them, before guiding them across the field.

"With the introductions in order, I'd like to start my lesson. As today will have a bright morning, I thought it would be nice to spend the day outside. Miss Hopkins, please give me a trait that depicts an Avantire".

"Brave", Rebecca answered and the teacher looked at the smallest girl of their group.

"Why?", was the returned question. Rebecca gave a small smile.

"Aside from the Avantire to be strong, he is also brave as he is willing to transport our food and weapons across battlefields. If he transports soldiers, he will defend them", the blonde girl replied and mrs. Wildfire nodded.

"Very good", the tutor said, before they stopped in front of an elegant Dragon. Atemu watched how the glass butterfly-shaped wings were folded differently than the way Yami would fold his leather wings, before Jonouchi's name was called and he tried to pay attention.

"Mr. Katsuya, I'd like to know three traits of a Fairytale. Let's see if you made your homework this time", the tutor said, but Jonouchi flashed a smirk at her.

"Three traits can be confidence, elegance and kindness, mrs. Wildfire", he answered and the teacher nodded. Atemu saw how Anzu gave a soft smile, gently bumping her fist against the blond's in congratulations. Mrs. Wildfire nodded again, giving a smile also, before she turned towards the seated Fairytale Dragon next to her.

"This is Sayuri, she is still a young Dragon and currently in training for the Beauty Contests. She will perform this upcoming Saturday for the very first time. We have recently groomed her and I'd like you all to feel how a properly cleaned Dragon feels like, although I am sure miss Mazaki knows this quite well, before we head out to the Keep. Go on, make sure you remember how smooth and clean scales feel like", mrs. Wildfire said and slowly Anzu stepped forward, stroking the elegant long neck. One by one, the students gently touched the very light lavender coloured scales. The glass-like membranes shone in the sunlight when the young female Dragon raised her wings, the peacock-feather-like tendrils curling slightly. The fins at the end of the tendrils were like rainbows, for if they moved they received another colour as the angle of the light falling upon them changed.

Atemu tilted his head slightly as the Dragon swished her tail. She was smaller than Yami and not as muscular even though Yami had lost muscles around the areas where his wings were attached to his body. His legs and feet were stronger than before however and Atemu noted that this Dragon missed most of what the wild Dragon seemed to have naturally.

"Mr. Sennen? Won't you stroke her?", mrs. Wildfire asked and Atemu turned his gaze towards her. She and his classmates were looking at him expectantly.

"No", he simply said. Mrs. Wildfire stared at him.

"No? Why not?", the older woman asked and Atemu looked at the Fairytale before him.

"She doesn't like it to be touched as we just did. I refuse to put her in discomfort", Atemu answered in return, his rose-red eyes focusing back upon his teacher. Mrs. Wildfire turned her gaze towards Sayuri and Atemu watched how they communicated telepathically for a moment. The blue eyes of the Fairytale were fixated upon their tutor, before Sayuri turned her head and looked away from everyone.

"You are correct", mrs. Wildfire said softly, "although I do not know how". Atemu refrained from shrugging.

"She told me", he answered. "Not in words, but in the way she moved. There was an almost invisible shudder as Miss Mazaki touched her neck. She raised her wings, she was tense, the tendrils curled and she swished her tail. It may be true that most Fairytale Dragons are confident, but Sayuri is shy. She doesn't want to show off, she feels uncomfortable while we stare at her. She told me all of this and I listened". Everyone was staring at him as Atemu explained what he saw and he watched how mrs. Wildfire looked at the female Dragon before them.

"It's true", Sayuri spoke in a clear voice, before turning her gaze away from them once more. She swished her tail again, before curling it against her body. Mrs. Wildfire nodded slowly, before giving a small smile.

"Then we will leave you. Come, class, move out!", came the order and the six of them followed the woman across the field. For one moment Sayuri stopped Atemu.

" _Thank you_ ", she whispered in his mind, giving him a soft smile, before the female Dragon got up to her feet and walked away. Atemu didn't say anything, merely following his classmates towards the Keep. In the distance he could see the racing ring where he could see a few Chequered Sprinters training, their long legs making them slither across the track. His curiosity burned within him as he waited for mrs. Wildfire to give him information he couldn't find in books.

/\

Yami snorted softly. "You look absolutely ridiculous", he said, laughing softly as Atemu walked up to him. A small drizzle had started to fall down just as lunchtime started and to empty his head, the tanned man had decided to pay a short visit to the black Dragon. "Although I like the coat", was the next comment and Atemu sighed softly as he looked at Yami from beneath the large hood he wore against the falling water.

"The coat and the jacket are the only likeable things this outfit has to offer. You're very insulting", Atemu stated, placing his heavy book-filled shoulderbag on the floor of Yami's nest as he entered the barn. The black Dragon resided inside the barn, appreciating the roof above his head. Atemu lowered the hood, staring at the drizzle with a soft sigh.

"I am not insulting, I state the truth. This whole idea of us staying here is insulting. Are we leaving yet?", Yami asked, but Atemu shook his head slowly. Yami gave a soft curse as he witnessed the shake, before he snorted again and lay his head down.

"At least you're dry", Atemu commented.

"Don't try to comfort me, there is no comfort in this place. I want to hunt and stretch my legs, but the only thing I could hunt here are filthy humans and they taste so vile they are my last resort in hunger", Yami muttered angrily. Atemu patted his shoulder gently and Yami made an angry rumble deep in his throat, but accepted the show of comfort nonetheless. He was sulking, which was almost the worst he could feel and he was angry. Angry with the way he was treated, angry with the place he had to reside in and angry at just everything he could be angry at.

"I saw you walking around this morning. How was class?", he asked, raising his head off the floor to look at the tanned man. Atemu gave a small shake of his shoulders.

"It was okay. I learned a few new things, but most things I already knew from my mother. I said no to my teacher this morning and I had to explain why, which was rather obvious. This afternoon we have Herbology and then we have something called "Watch-Hours" in which we have to make our homework while a teacher is in charge of us. I'm not familiar with schools as my father and mother taught me everything I know and so far I don't like them one bit", Atemu commented. Yami snorted softly, before Atemu gave a soft sigh and picked his shoulderbag off the floor.

"I've got to go. It's lunchtime and I'm rather hungry. Will you be okay?", the tanned male asked and he turned his gaze towards the black Dragon whom was watching the now steady falling rain as he had done.

"Of course. Like sheep we are fed at the Keep and there are things we can do, but I just want to stay here. I'll be okay", Yami said and Atemu patted his shoulder once more, before hiding his hair and head in the hood of his coat and made his way towards the castle through the rain. Yami heaved a long sigh, lying his head down upon the ground once more and he curled up, closing his eyes for a nap while the sound of falling rain drummed in his ears.

/\

 **Little side-info: at first I wanted two OC's next to Anzu, but then I figured I was being stupid and so I decided for Rebecca and Kriss to be the other girls of the fourth year class. I didn't describe them completely, but everyone is about 20-21 years old so just imagine them as such.**

 **If you're wondering how the jackets look like from the school uniform: there is a picture you can google from Squall (Kingdom Hearts). It's a pretty nice jacket with silver decorations. :)**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and if you have the time, please leave a review! ^^**


	5. The Acid-Spitter

**Hi everyone! No excuses, I forgot to update. But here it is, the chapter I've written a little while ago. I hope everyone will like it.**

 **Anyway, to keep the A/N short:**

 **Warnings: Blood, gore, NOT Beta'd!, fluff (wait, that doesn't need a warning :P)**

 **Genres: Suspense, Fantasy, Hurt/Comfort**

 **I hope you'll enjoy the chapter idea. I have some other ideas half-written and now that I have vacation I hope I can write some more. :)**

 **/\**

The crowd dispersed from the changing woman. Her green eyes were ablaze with anger, her glare fixated upon the little girl at her feet. The child screamed and before Atemu knew what he was doing, he grabbed Seto's long coat from the chair it had been resting on and he was running down the hill.

"No, Atemu!", Yami called after him, but the female Dragon had formed completely. Her green scales shimmered in the spring sun, her wings were extended to show off her large body as she seemed to grow when her scales turned up. She hissed as the little girl cried and clutched her rabbit plush against her chest. When someone tried to move from the crowd she circled around the girl, beating her tail on the floor. She hissed again, the bags near the corners of her mouth filling with acid and when they were full, she aimed, opening her mouth.

Atemu burst through the crowd, somehow knowing that the Dragon couldn't change her aim and he grabbed the girl, moving her from her spot to hug her against his chest. He threw the coat around them, burying his head against hers underneath the shimmering clothing. Too late he realised his mistake when he heard the acid rain down upon the stones and he had to do to anything in his power not to scream as the acid flew up from the stones and splattered onto his bare arm which he used to hug the coat against the little girl.

The girl cried and he focused on her, trying to breathe as the flesh on his arm burned away by the acid. It burned through his clothes on his back and ribs and he knew he had to get it off. He threw the coat off of his head and looked up when he heard a soft hissing. The Acid-Spitter prowled around them as she filled the bags at the corners of her mouth. The crowd had run and Atemu saw the Dragon take her stance. At the sound of an inhuman angry scream he tore the shimmering coat from the girl and himself, his arm covered in green acid and he felt it drip off of his shoulder.

"Go! Go to your mother!", he called out to the girl and he pushed her away the moment he saw a black body smash into the green Dragon. Teeth pierced the scales and into a leather neck, ripping it apart. The Acid-Spitter howled in pain as Yami quickly released her. Blood mixed with acid when he hit her head with his claws. Then he slowly circled Atemu who tried to get his shirt off. He guided the human away from the puddles of acid eating away the stones beneath them.

A scream made Yami look up as with her last strength the green Dragon rose from the ground. He snarled at her when she tried to spit at him, but blood splattered against the stones. He left her, circling around Atemu who fell to his knees, clutching his arm with Seto's coat.

"Atemu?", he asked softly as he lay down and let the other lean against him. He tried to make the tanned male comfortable against him, nibbling at the tri-coloured hair when Atemu moaned in pain.

"Fire... burn it", Atemu muttered, his rose-red eyes trying to focus on the gathering crowd. Yami snarled at them, snapping at the people who tried to help. Somewhere in the distance, Atemu could hear someone call his name, but he didn't focus on sound. The acid continued to burn and he heard Yami snarl again. Then he saw him. He didn't know how, but he saw him.

"Gambler!", he called out, focusing all his strength on his voice. The male whom he'd seen, looked back. Orange eyes staring at him. "Burn it! You have to burn it!", Atemu called out and slowly the other male stepped forward. Yami growled at him, but let him through, snapping at someone else who tried to help. The black Dragon had both his front paws circled around the human, letting Atemu rest against his chest.

Gambler quickly made his way towards Atemu, before he began prying Atemu's hand and white coat from the damaged arm. Atemu cried out softly, trying to grasp something else to hold on to and he fisted his trousers in his free hand while Gambler worked on his shirt. The Dragon tore it, ripping it from his torso and threw it aside where it was eaten by the acid at the edges. Orange eyes looked at the tanned arm where splatters had created long lines of acid.

"Burn it", Atemu said curtly, his rose-red eyes staring at Gambler, the Dragon staring back before slowly shaking his head. He couldn't burn his friend, the pain could be too much. If Atemu died, Yami would kill him without a second thought, no matter how much the black Dragon hated humans. Gambler would be history.

"Burn it please!", Atemu begged, acid slowly dribbling from the top of his shoulder to the bottom of his shoulder blade. He cried as he tried to breathe and make Gambler listen to him. Burning it was the only solution and he knew Gambler could produce hot flames even in human form. He was the only one who could do it. Atemu heard Yami snarl again, before Gambler grasped his arm and took a deep breath. The first few flames Gambler blew, were yellow and orange, before the fire turned so hot it turned blue and almost invisible.

Atemu screamed. He couldn't think of anything else, but to scream at the agony and the pain taking over his body. Gambler grasped his arm tight when Atemu tried to jerk it away from the flames and he took deep breaths once his flames died out. Atemu stopped screaming, breathing in deeply, but more screams were torn from his throat when Gambler began burning the acid away over and over again. Atemu didn't feel Gambler turning him so the Dragon could burn his back, his screams hoarse when the burning registered however. The tanned man whimpered softly, tears streaming down his face freely. Gambler still held his arm, the burned acid black and smoking. Atemu shuddered as Yami snarled. He could hear voices, but they were distant as if they spoke in a dream.

"Yami! Let us through!", Mahado called out to the black Dragon.

"No, stay away! Nobody will hurt him any more", Yami hissed. His forked tongue flicked between his lips, his nostrils flaring as he snapped at the crowd to stay away from him.

"Fool! We are the humans, we have to see him!", Mahado raged, glaring at the one who defied him. Crimson eyes glared back equally angered. "If he stays with you he'll die!", the tanned man called out, trying to reason with the Dragon before him even though he was beyond desperation. His charge was wounded and he couldn't reach him. Yami flicked his tail, hissing under his breath with contained anger.

"He won't die", he whispered dangerously low, but then he felt a trembling hand on his leg and he took his glare from Mahado to look at Atemu. For a moment his eyes flashed at Gambler, before he flicked his tongue at Atemu's face. "Yes?", he whispered softly, his nostrils flaring worriedly this time. He rumbled softly, the noise Atemu favoured to hear from him.

"It's okay", Atemu whispered, shuddering as he tried to say more, but couldn't. He drew quick breaths to lessen the pain, which didn't work. A black leg moved and suddenly Atemu felt how a hand wiped the blond bangs from his face. He whimpered when they moved his arm, but it felt like bliss when something cool was wrapped around the appendage. The burning seemed to lessen and his breathing evened out slightly.

"Let's take him to the house", Siamun said as he wrapped Atemu's arm in wet bandages. Yami hissed softly, but somehow Atemu stroked his leg again, telling him it was okay. For a moment nothing happened, but then he pushed Gambler forward, who dutifully had taken a step back back when Siamun had taken the damaged arm from him.

"Gambler will carry him. A Dragon is better than any human", Yami said, not leaving any room for arguments. Gambler took a deep breath, as if steeling himself, before he bent through his knees and gathered Atemu in his arms. Atemu gasped, before he cried out in pain when he was moved. His arm was bent to lay across his chest and his cries turned to soft whimpers. Yami grumbled softly, quickly rising to his feet to follow Gambler, uncaring of whomever dared to walk in front of his feet.

The Vyr was led into the house by Siamun, where he was ordered to place Atemu on a bed in one of the vacant bedrooms. Shouts from the front door alerted them, before Siamun turned to Anzu who had followed them to the room.

"Anzu, make sure Mana gets me a bowl of water and a lot of clean cloths. After I'd like for you to help me with the herbs. Gambler, stay here, we might need some of your fire again", Siamun said as the brunette girl ran off into the hallways. Gambler sighed softly.

"I'm not going to burn him again. Forget it, I'll have nightmares for years to come", the Vyr said, his orange eyes focused upon the unconscious male. "I might not even survive this", he commented as he heard Yami curse bloody murder at the front door. Someone yelled back, he guessed it to be Mahado and quickly he walked from the room when Mana and Anzu returned. The screaming intensified and Gambler felt his skin crawl as he stood next to Jonouchi.

"Atemu is human, Yami! You can't enter the house and we won't let him sleep in the meadow! That's out of the question!", Mahado yelled, his face tinged red with restrained anger. Or as much restraint as possible.

"I want to see him! You won't help him! Siamun is a Dragon Doctor, not one for humans!", Yami yelled back, his tail flicking in anger. Mahado growled.

"He can treat Atemu! Siamun knows everything about herbs! _Everything_!", Mahado emphasized, but Yami bared his teeth and snarled as his lips curled in anger. Isis, who had transformed before Gambler noticed her move, stepped before the tanned male protectively.

"He's my husband", she hissed, her ocean blue eyes glaring angrily at the black Dragon. She stood before him, her head held high and her light-scaled body protecting the whole entrance of the house. As one, everyone held their breath, but with a soft hiss and a flick of his tongue Yami turned and walked away. Alone, he began to pace atop the hill, his crimson eyes not leaving the house as he watched over it like a hawk.

Yugi released the breath he'd been holding, Jonouchi finally looking at Gambler, his pale hand gently grasping Gambler's shoulder in comfort. Mahado stormed passed them towards the room they held Atemu, while Seto snorted softly, ushering everyone into the livingroom. A butler came forward with tea and water and placed it on the coffee table between the luxurious sofa's. Jonouchi looked at Gambler, who happily sat down on the sofa and buried his face in his hands.

"Where did Mana go?", Kisara asked softly and Gambler slowly looked up at her. She was combing her silver-white hair with her fingers in distress.

"She's with Anzu in the room where I placed Atemu", he answered softly. Seto paced around the room behind the sofa's. He growled softly.

"Who's Dragon was it?", he asked, harsher than he had wanted to. Still, it bothered him. Who's Dragon had attacked the little girl? Who's Dragon now lay dead on the stones in town? Angered with himself, he marched to the door. "I'm going out", he announced, and he was gone before someone could stop him. Kisara sighed softly, still combing her hair, before she took a cup of tea from the coffee table.

"We'll wait", she said softly and Yugi sighed as he sat down as well. Jonouchi settled down next to Gambler, who stared out of the window which had a view upon the hill where he watched Yami, who still paced atop the hill. Isis was still outside and the Vyr thought she was possibly guarding the house. In case Yami turned stupid. He didn't think the black Dragon would, but one could never know. Gambler had seen what worry could do to someone. Human or Dragon alike. He looked at Jonouchi when the blond heaved a heavy sigh and then moved out of the livingroom to then come back and leave again. Nobody knew what to do while they waited.

/\

Mana gently wiped Atemu's brow with a cool cloth. Worriedly she looked at Siamun who sighed. A book lay upon the small desk where it was surrounded by numerous herbs and vials filled with liquid medicine. Atemu was asleep, he had woken a few times, but each time shorter than the one before. His blond bangs were plastered against his face as fever made him sweat. Siamun turned a page of his book, glancing at the herbs on the table, before he crushed two different ones together in his mortar. When crushed thoroughly, he mixed them with pre-boiled water in a glass.

"Siamun? He's awake", Anzu called softly from the bed, where she watched Mana caring for the tanned male. The elder turned and with the medicine in his hands he made his way to the bed. Atemu was panting, his rose-red eyes dull as his brow twisted in pain. Siamun sighed softly, motioning for Mahado to help Atemu up in a seated position.

"He's starting to Drift", Siamun said softly and he felt the youngsters stare at him. Mahado looked down upon his charge worriedly while the elder slowly made Atemu drink the medicine. The tanned male complied, sometimes coughing when the sip he took was too big. His left arm was still covered in wet bandages and safely tucked away in a sling so it wouldn't get hurt if he moved. The tanned torso was covered in bandages as well, the places were the scars burned only slightly wet as beneath the bandages they had placed wet gauzes.

"Drift?", Anzu asked softly when the elder was finished with giving Atemu the medicine. The elder nodded as Mahado placed the tanned male back onto the bed, soft whimpers tearing at his heart.

"The fever will make him wake, but only semi conscious. Sometimes he may still dream and sometimes he may be awake completely. It's hard to tell, but the fever is at fault", the elder explained. Mana wiped her cool cloth across Atemu's brow gently, before she looked at her father.

"Someone has to tell Yami", she said, receiving a worried look from Mahado. The brunet knew he should let the black Dragon know of how Atemu was faring, but he also knew he wouldn't be able to get close to Yami. Not after what happened between them this afternoon. Gambler had explained to him that the black Dragon had been pacing atop a hill ever since he had been rejected from the house hours earlier. The evening had long since fallen and not a word had been brought to Yami. Seto had returned as well, not with enough good news to lighten the atmosphere.

"I can go", Mana said, interrupting Mahado's train of thoughts. His onyx-coloured eyes looked at her sternly, but she lifted her chin slightly as she rose from the bed and gave the cloth to Anzu. "He won't hurt me. Not if I remain in this form", she continued. Mahado shook his head.

"You can't be sure. He's unpredictable", the older male warned. Mana glared at him slightly.

"Someone has to tell him, unpredictable or not", she said, before she moved from the room, not awaiting an answer from her father. Siamun looked at Mahado, but the male remained seated. He knew she was right, but she was his daughter. Still... he believed her to be one of the only ones to be able to tell Yami bad news right now. He certainly wouldn't qualify. Mahado's attention was captured by Atemu murmuring something in his fever-ridden sleep and Anzu gently wiped the sweat from the furrowed brow. Truth be told, they hadn't expected the fever to come so quickly and Mahado stroked through the tri-coloured hair as his onyx eyes gazed upon the tanned male with worry.

/\

Yami growled softly as he paced the grass beneath his feet like a caged lion. He couldn't stop muttering, grumbling words inaudible to anyone but himself. He had no idea what happened, why his inner fire burned as it did. Why he had urges to destroy the damned house and just snap everyone's head off until they would let him near Atemu. He raked his claws through the earth in his anger, clumps of clay flying through the air, before he resumed his pacing. Why was he as angry as he was? Why couldn't he tear Atemu's screams from his mind? Why couldn't he just settle down and let the humans work on one of their own? When he heard the front door of the house shut, the sound sharp in the silent air, he watched the figure running from the house and up the hill towards him. He stopped his pacing, his tail flicking anxiously.

"Yami? It's just me, Mana", the girl called out. Yami grumbled softly.

"I know, I can see you", he replied, resuming his pacing as his whole body twitched with unfamiliar feelings and he had to get rid of them. Silly girl, her human form probably made her this stupid, Yami mused. Anything to vent his anger on, even if it wouldn't work to his satisfaction. Mana sighed softly, her shoulders drooping slightly and she felt crimson eyes boring into her.

"Seto returned a little while back. Nobody has claimed the Acid-Spitter yet", Mana murmured and she heard Yami snort loudly.

"Of course not. Who would want something like that? Something so stupid it attacked a little girl and brought a dozen people in danger? One who was easily killed by me?", Yami questioned, flicking his tail in anger. He really wasn't up for some ridiculous chit-chat. Mana nodded to herself.

"I know, but I thought you'd like to know. Also, the mother of the child Atemu saved talked with Seto. She was really grateful", the girl continued. Another snort.

"She should be", he replied curtly, his voice thick with disgust. "I'm not up for chit-chat Mana", the black Dragon continued as he paced. He turned his gaze away from her, his nostrils flaring as he tried to catch at least a little scent of whatever was going on in that house. She carried Atemu's scent and he flicked out his forked tongue.

"I'm sorry... I came to tell you about Atemu", she whispered and he directed all of his attention upon her. Yami stopped pacing, turning to her, gazing down upon her with interest.

"Speak", he nearly ordered when she remained silent. She took a deep breath.

"Fever caught him. It happened real quick and Siamun spoke of him Drifting. Even though Gambler burned the acid properly, he still got fever. I'm scared", she admitted and Yami flicked his tail. He growled low under his breath, resuming his pacing again.

"It's because of the humans. Those ridiculous beings think they can fix everything! They're so stupid! They'll be the death of their own kind!", he snarled, before he walked off and Mana watched him go. She wanted to protest, wanted to tell him her father tried his best, but she also knew he wouldn't listen. She knew he would argue with her and threaten her, so instead of following him, she walked back towards the house. Everyone was in the house, all Dragons who would transform had done so. Even if the only reason would be to give support to their owners or lovers. She knew that her mother was inside to make sure Mahado would eat and sleep.

As she entered the house, she watched how Osiris played a game of chess with Yugi, but the latter wasn't completely into the game. Jonouchi and Gambler were talking in a corner of the livingroom while Seto and Kisara were nowhere in sight. Teana was waiting outside the door towards Atemu's chamber, as was her mother and Mana let Isis embrace her gently.

"See, he didn't harm me", she whispered softly. Isis said nothing, merely embracing her daughter gently, before she guided Mana into the bedroom.

"Your father requested your presence", she said and when she entered she almost couldn't look at the bed. Siamun was preparing new medication while he read the old words in his book. Anzu was still wiping Atemu's brow, but he was shivering and the sheets were soaked with sweat. Mahado was stroking the tri-coloured hair, just like he had done with her hair whenever Mana had been sick. The girl winced slightly in sympathy. When they entered, Mahado turned to look at them and he rose from his chair to meet them halfway in the room.

"We want to change the sheets, but we have to do it quickly so we won't hurt him so much. I'll lift him and if you, your mother and Anzu change everything as quickly as you can then we can do it", Mahado explained and Mana nodded. Carefully, Mahado picked Atemu up from the bed, the tanned male moaning in pain, but remained asleep. He was panting, his acid-burned arm still in a sling and wet bandages. His torso was still covered as well, but his skin was still burning while the male shivered. The three women were quick in their work as they tore the sheets and the mattress covers from the bed. Anything that had been able to soak up sweat was removed and replaced by clean materials. When the door opened, Isis halted her work and tensed, but Mahado didn't turn.

"Give him to me", the person behind him growled. Mahado tensed, Siamun dropped his mortar and the girls stopped moving. The growling intensified as the tanned male slowly turned. "Give him to me _now_ ", the pale man snarled as Mahado lay his eyes upon him. A small frown appeared upon Mahado's face, but then he recognized the anger radiating in crimson eyes.

"Yami?", he asked softly. Oddly enough, the pale man looked like his charge. Tri-coloured hair defying gravity, high cheekbones and narrow eyes. A forked tongue slipped passed pale lips, the transformed black Dragon glaring at Mahado.

"Are you deaf?", Yami asked and Mahado heard Isis growl softly at the question. "Give him to me", was the third time the black Dragon ordered and almost scared, Mahado shook his head.

"No, Atemu belongs in bed", the tanned male said, his stare turning into a glare. Yami wore Elven clothes, snug-fitting trousers and leather boots. A white shirt was tucked into his trousers, the sleeves slightly billowing before his cuffs closed tightly around pale wrists. Somehow Mahado knew the clothes had been magically enhanced to last centuries as he also knew Yami hadn't transformed willingly in probably more than a hundred years.

"Then put him there", Yami growled, his eyes upon Mahado as the tanned male moved towards the bed. He followed, his growl intensifying when he heard Atemu moan softly. Again, a forked tongue flicked passed pale lips and as Mahado covered Atemu with the sheets, Isis glared at Yami to not try anything. Yami slowly reached out his hand and gently touched Atemu's forehead, wiping the blond bangs from his face. He frowned, his glare back upon Mahado.

"He's cold as ice", Yami said, taking of his boots before he crawled into bed and gently pulled Atemu against his seated form. His inner flame flickered to life, increasing in heat which made his skin grow warmer as well. Mahado tried to stop him, but the angry glare he received made him stop.

"Yami, be careful. Atemu's sweating because he's burning with fever", Siamun said. His old heart had finally recovered from witnessing the black Dragon in this form, his mind dragged from the possibilities and problems this form could cause. Perhaps Yami was no longer a Dragon, but he was still stronger than many of them in the room. Isis growled softly.

"Let him try. If he believes to be better than you, Siamun, we cannot change his mind. Let him try", Isis said, before she pulled Mana to her and took her daughter and husband from the room. She didn't want them to be endangered any longer, she wouldn't let the black Dragon growl at them any more. Mana sighed softly while Mahado grumbled under his breath.

"Who does he think he is? We are all worried about Atemu, he is my charge and he just thinks he can take him away from me". Isis listened to the grumbles, her sensitive ears easily picking it up even if Mahado didn't want to share. Mahado hated the feeling of not knowing what would happen to Atemu now that he had been taken from the room. That he didn't know how Yami had pulled the tanned man close to himself and had begun to undo the sling and the bandages. Siamun tried to stop him.

"Yami, please. Leave them", he said, but he received an angry glare in return. Anzu had taken the bowl of water from the night stand and was now refilling it with fresh water at the sink in the en-suite bathroom. She rinsed the cloth a few times, before hanging it to dry. She retrieved a fresh one from the cabinet and when she came back, she felt her stomach turn at the black scars marking her friend's body.

"Gambler did good work", Yami commented as he eyed the black and tanned arm. Siamun sighed softly as the black Dragon didn't seem to listen to him. Instead, he leaned back against the pillows and made Atemu comfortable against him. He accepted the bowl with fresh water and the clean cloth from Anzu and he wiped Atemu's brow gently a few times, before he pulled the blankets around the tanned male. The way he did it reminded Anzu of how he would make sure the blankets were perfect whenever Atemu was sleeping between Yami's front legs. She gave a tiny smile, before she excused herself. She wouldn't get to do anything any longer for as long as Yami would remain at Atemu's side. The elder sighed again, but then left a small vial with medicine on the night stand.

"I won't need that", Yami whispered softly. Siamun tilted his head slightly.

"It will help with the pain, Yami. It's not poison", the elder replied back. The black Dragon stared at him, but did not reply. He focused his attention back on Atemu and ignored the rest. The flame within him burned brightly, his skin warmer than usual, but he could feel the tanned male searching the warmth he could give. Humans were stupid, he knew Atemu was different than him. Yet, the fever was necessary. Yami knew the other male was sweating because his body tried to overcome the hurt it had received from the acid and the burning. But still, he knew how warm or cold the tanned skin should be. He had made a memory of it while Atemu had been sleeping against him and right now, Atemu was cold. So cold, Yami feared it more than the sweat falling down the tanned face.

When Atemu murmured something softly, Yami stroked through the blond bangs. He didn't know why he had changed, he just knew he wasn't satisfied with the 'care' the humans were providing. Somehow the tanned male had grown on him, so much that he wanted to help the human recover. Much like Atemu had helped him recover from his wounds. A soft sigh escaped Yami, his musings interrupted when Mahado entered the room with a tray. There was a carafe filled with water on top with a glass next to it.

"When he wakes, perhaps you can make him drink something. I don't want him dehydrated", Mahado said. Yami grumbled softly.

"Don't worry", he then replied. Mahado looked at him, anger radiating from him.

"We're all worried, Yami. You're not the only one. Don't claim him like he's your hatchling, cause he isn't. We tried our best, we're still trying our best. You need our help", the tanned male reasoned. Yami glared at him and Mahado knew he had touched a sensitive spot. Still, it had to be said because it was true. Yami wasn't the only one worried.

"I know you'll want to know about him, that's what I wanted. I wasn't satisfied with the little update you provided me so I came to look. You screwed up, so now I'll take care of him. Besides, you're growing tired and I can watch over him all night. I can stay awake, while you need rest", Yami replied, his glare fixated upon Mahado. "Go to your wife and rest", the black Dragon added before Mahado could say anything else.

There were many things the tanned man wanted to say, but he knew Yami was right. He knew he was swaying on his feet, everything from today catching up on him and even though he didn't like to admit it, he was tired. He needed the rest, while Yami could stay awake all night and wouldn't require rest until morning had come. Mahado relented and he was glad Yami didn't smirk this time. "Fine", the tanned male said. "Just, please, wake me when something changes", he added, before leaving the room. Yami watched him leave, before he continued his gentle strokes of Atemu's hair. He could hear soft murmurs, but aside from the small sounds, Atemu remained asleep. Yami didn't move from his spot for a few hours, he only moved to take the wet cloth and wipe Atemu's brow with the material and to sometimes wet the black scarred arm.

It was a few hours before dawn when Atemu's new murmurs broke Yami's train of thoughts. Atemu had turned during the night and had decided to snuggle up against the warmth Yami could provide him. The black Dragon was pleased with himself, because, even though Atemu was still feverish, he was almost back to normal temperature. He wasn't that cold anymore and he also wasn't dehydrated because during the small periods of Drifting, Yami had persisted in giving Atemu something to drink. The new murmurs where different though.

"Yami?", Atemu questioned softly, his eyes still closed and his face only slightly buried in Yami's stomach. The black Dragon moved slightly to look at the tanned male, to see if he was coherent or just drifting from unconscious to conscious and back again to sleep. But this time seemed different, it felt different. Atemu moaned softly in discomfort and even though his eyelids were heavy, he opened them slightly. The warmth he felt was Yami's, even though he was warmer than usual. And it was Yami's scent, his presence grasping Atemu from his uncomfortable sleep. Atemu moaned again when he tried to move, Yami immediately trying to shush him, pulling the blankets around him so they would cover him perfectly.

"Ssh, you need rest. Don't overdo it", Yami whispered to him softly. Atemu tried to fall back to sleep again, because, even though it had been uncomfortable, he hadn't been in so much pain. His whole body screamed at him, but his back, arm and ribs burned brighter than ever. He had been dreaming about the acid and the burning the whole night, his fever not helping as it had created different endings every time. Still, he had to say something and he tried to grasp something to stay awake. When he grasped an arm, he was confused momentarily, before it clicked.

"I thought... you would never change", Atemu said, his voice hoarse and filled with pain. Yami sighed softly, stroking Atemu's hair and the tanned male relished in the fact he remembered feeling the comfortable touch sometimes throughout the night.

"They wouldn't let me see you otherwise", Yami said. "And I couldn't see you otherwise", the black Dragon added. He would have loved it to put all the blame on the humans, but he too was to blame. He knew he was. If he had reacted sooner, Atemu would not be in the bed. If he had been able to stop Atemu, then the man would not be hurt. He would not have been grasped by a fever to become as cold as ice. Atemu groaned softly when Yami replaced his good arm back under the covers, before adjusting the blanket slightly. He did it as he always did and Atemu felt relieved that some things didn't change when Dragons used another form to walk amongst them.

"I'm... glad you're... here", Atemu whispered and Yami rumbled softly deep within his chest. He knew Atemu liked the sound and he happily made it if it would make him feel better. The corners of Atemu's lips curled slightly and Yami resumed his stroking of the tri-coloured hair. "Thank you", was the soft whisper, rose-red eyes closing for a moment, before they re-opened.

"What for?", Yami asked, unsure of what the human was thanking him for.

"You killed the Dragon... so she wouldn't... be able to harm me... or the girl anymore", Atemu explained, taking deep breaths as he spoke. His breathing was slightly laboured, as if it took all of his strength to speak and Yami sighed softly.

"It's all right. She deserved to die as she shouldn't have turned her acid upon you or the girl. She wasn't allowed to try to hurt the both of you. It's against certain laws", Yami said, but he felt he was loosing Atemu to his sleep again. The tanned male woke again, trying to get more warmth from Yami's body, before he stilled when the pain in his arm flared dangerously.

"You threaten... a lot of people... every day", Atemu commented. Yami frowned as he knew the other should be sleeping instead of talking.

"Threatening people is different. I merely make sure they fear me with words, she acted upon her instincts. She didn't warn, she didn't make a threat. She became the threat and that had to be killed immediately", Yami stated, wiping Atemu's brow gently, his inner flame still burning strong to get Atemu back on temperature. Again, the tanned male smiled ever so slightly.

"Thank you... Thank you for saving me", Atemu mustered and Yami gently stroked his hair again. Then he shifted slightly,laying down comfortably with Atemu next to him. He enveloped Atemu in a hug as he drew the other to himself. Atemu rested his head onto Yami's chest as he tried to curl up as comfortably as he possibly could. His burned arm rested upon Yami's body as well, the only way to generate as less pain as possible. Atemu's head rose and fell as the black Dragon took a deep breath.

"Sleep, Atemu. You need rest", Yami whispered. "I will never allow somebody to hurt you again. Never", he promised and Atemu sighed softly. Yami made the rumbling sound deep in his chest and to that sound Atemu fell asleep. A restful and peaceful one.

/\

 **I like them falling asleep, don't I? I hope you enjoyed the chapter and I hope I can write more soon :)**


	6. Kiss me Goodbye

**Hi Everyone!**

 **I know, it has been forever since I updated any of my stories and really, I have no excuses. Though the past few weeks I have been busy fixing my new home and moving my stuff into it slowly so that I can actually start living there ;)**

 **Anyway, it is a really short chapter. I already had an idea like this for a few months, but I couldn't get it on paper and now... I had it all written out in an hour flat. It contains a song called 'Kiss me Goodbye'. It's the ending song of Final Fantasy XVII and I had this sudden inspiration, so here it is.**

 **Any questions? Please ask them! I hope I'll have some more inspiration in the coming future, but I hope you'll enjoy this chapter as it is.**

 **One last thing: Thank you all for reading my stories and for fav'ing and following them.**

 **Thank you, thank you, thank you. I hope to make you all happy and proud one day ^^**

 **Onwards!**

 **/\**

 **Kiss me Goodbye**

 **/\**

 _Watching him was her favourite thing to do. She loved to hear him laugh as he played with his father or the younger Dragons. She loved to see him smear medicine onto his hands and face just because he wanted to help her with the wounded Dragon next to her. She would give a small smile as the Dragons watched his antics, before youngsters would sweep him off his feet. Her eyes would sparkle every moment she could see how her husband tried to teach him how to be strong, yet kind. That all in this world had its time and place, while he learned to hunt for his own future family._

" _Mommy!", he would call out to her, his bright eyes speaking of his excitement to tell her stories of what the day had brought him and she laughed as she hugged him tight. Gently stroking through his tri-coloured hair she kissed his cheek as she held him close._

" _Yes, my love?", she whispered in his ear, watching how her husband followed their son up the small hill at his own pace; a smile wrinkling the corners of his eyes._

" _Sarabi will teach me about Adamantine Dragons!", the young boy exclaimed, a huge grin plastered on his face and she laughed at him._

" _Is she now?", she asked her and he wrung himself from her grasp to run around excitingly._

" _Yes, yes!", he cheered, suddenly pulling at her skirt, his rose-red eyes big and round as he stared up at her: "I can go, right?", he asked softly. She smiled at him as her husband grabbed him and rose him above his head. He laughed as he soared through the sky, his arms held wide like wings._

" _What do you think?", she asked, a knowing smile upon her lips. He turned to her, his deep, red-purple eyes shining at her and she could see the smile hidden in his beard. He held the boy at arms-length, as if examining him as the child giggled softly._

" _He has been good", the older male replied to her, setting their son back upon the ground, the child cheering loud as he danced around them, before running off._

" _Atemu!", she called him softly and he turned to her, rose-red eyes staring at her curiously. Slowly she extended her arms and smiling he ran back to fall into her embrace, his arms slowly circling around her neck. "I love you", she whispered._

" _I love you mommy, daddy", he whispered back, before she let him go to see the Dragoness he wanted to listen to. To hear her stories as she rested her wounded wings. Softly, as the wind played with her black hair and her husband wrapped an arm around her waist gently, she sang for only him to hear._

You, say my love is all you need  
To see you through  
But I, know these are words are not quite true

Here, is the path your looking for  
An open door  
Leading to worlds you long to explore

 _Her little boy. She would offer him the world he longed for. So often she could hear him say how he would travel the world. She would listen to his stories of what other Dragons had told him, she could imagine him among them. He learned their ways so quickly, learned to read them. Even better so than humans._

Go, if you must move on alone  
I'm gonna make it on my own

Kiss me goodbye  
Love's memory  
Follow your heart  
And find your destiny

 _Would he kiss her goodbye if he'd leave? Just like he had done just now? She smiled as he husband guided her towards the place where they knew Sarabi was. Youngsters had gathered around her to listen to her stories as she swiped her claws through the air. Her husband laughed as kids scrambled around one another, yet his son remained seated, captivated by the story._

Won't shed a tear  
For love's mortality  
You put the dream in my reality

As time goes by I, know you'll see  
This is me  
I loved you enough to let you go free

Go, I will give you wings to fly  
Cast all your fears into the sky

 _She prayed her son would be able to do what he had always wanted. Wished for his safe journeys, wished for his own stories, wished for love, courage and happiness to fill his days whenever she watched him as she did today. The sun gleaming upon him, the wind playing with his tri-coloured hair, the blond bangs swishing back and forth aimlessly._

Kiss me goodbye  
Love's mystery  
All of my life, I'll hold you close to me

Won't shed a tear  
For love's mortality  
You put the dream in my reality

 _Her husband kissed her cheek softly, his beard tickling her skin even after all these years. "He is still young, you will have him by your side for many years to come", he whispered in her ear and she smiled at him._

" _I know, but sometimes... sometimes he is already so far away. Then I do not know what to think", she replied softly, her eyes settling back upon the other love of her life._

" _He'll come back. You still have to teach him so much more", he answered her and she chuckled softly as he stroked her back._

" _So do you", she murmured against his lips and he closed the gap between them gently. She giggled as their kiss ended, children staring at them as they stood a little to the side of where the Dragoness had been telling her story. Rose-red eyes looked at them, watching the Dragoness for a moment, before raising to his feet._

" _Thank you", he whispered softly, bowing his head towards the giant beast and he received a bow in return, before he ran back towards his parents. The older male caught him, twirling him around in the air and he giggled as he cheered._

" _Let's go and eat, shall we. You can listen to Sarabi another time", he said and a small nod came from their son as he huddled against his father's strong chest. Big eyes looked at her from where he was carried and she tilted her head slightly._

" _You'll tell me about the Elven City, won't you mommy?", he wondered and she stroked through his tri-coloured hair softly._

" _I will. I promise"._

 _And she did, as she watched him cuddle his blanket against his chest, his eyes heavy with sleep. She told him about the palace, its beautiful towers and magic. She told him of the houses, of the place where they cared for Dragons and where they would have their training grounds. She told him of their kindness, their magic, their Dragons, their floating lanterns, their schools and their dancing, before she would watch him again as he had fallen asleep._

 _She loved to watch him dream. She loved to watch him soar across a sky where he could fly, where he could be who he was until the end of time. She loved stroking through his hair, hoping the image would be with her forever._

 _Gently she placed a kiss upon his forehead as she looked at him one more time. Her little boy, whom she loved so much._

Kiss me goodbye  
Love's memory  
You put the dream in my reality

 **/\**

 **I hope some of this made sense. It did in my head, but yeah, you know me. I don't know... I just wanted to show everyone Atemu had loving parents and why he knows so much and why he clings to ideas that were completely the other way around from his uncle.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading! :D**


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